/ world today news/ Despite the tension in relations between Russia and the EU, the business of the German agricultural machinery manufacturer CLAAS is flourishing in Krasnodar, reports Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten. In addition, Wolfram Eberhardt, the company’s spokesman, is convinced that economic ties, on the contrary, can help build bridges between Moscow and Brussels. In any case, his company will write its success story in Russia.
After Brussels tightened sanctions against Moscow, tensions in Russia-EU relations increased again. But this does not prevent the German manufacturer of agricultural machinery CLAAS from doing business in Krasnodar. On the contrary, in the current situation it is the economy that can help build bridges, said Wolfram Eberhard, a company spokesman, in an interview with Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten. This is especially true for the agricultural sector, because it deals with the most important topic, namely food, which cannot arouse suspicion.
According to him, CLAAS has been doing business in Russia since 2003 and has recently expanded its production in Krasnodar. 120 million euros were invested in modernizing equipment and increasing the number of jobs. The company does not intend to stop there. It is also necessary to purchase modern combines, tractors, integrate digital solutions, in particular innovative farm management systems and telemetry.
Eberhard emphasized that the German company is one of the most important employers and technology providers in Krasnodar. In addition, the company has launched a number of educational initiatives that benefit the entire region. According to him, the local Russian politicians are very satisfied and in no way limit CLAAS in its work.
In addition, the German manufacturer has a so-called special investment contract with the country’s authorities, thanks to which it receives state subsidies when purchasing, for example, new equipment.
In recent years, Russia has come a long way in the development of its agriculture, Eberhard continued. Since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, the Russian authorities have begun to pay more attention to self-sufficiency, including in providing the country with food.
And earlier in Moscow it was understood that in the field of agriculture it was necessary to carry out modernization, but no concrete decisions were made. Against the background of the conflict with Ukraine, special projects were launched, including with the aim of replenishing the country’s budget through the export of grain.
And the results are obvious: Russia is now the largest exporter of grain on the world market. Over 72 million hectares of agricultural land are cultivated in the country. For comparison, in Germany there are only 16 million, but in Russia there is much more land suitable for sowing, namely 122 million hectares. These figures show that the country has a huge potential for development, Eberhard emphasizes.
The CLAAS representative also shared his vision for the future: “We generally assume that the situation will develop positively in terms of turnover and income. Of course, against the backdrop of a pandemicand we remain cautious because everything can develop unpredictably. But in any case, we will continue to write the story of our economic success in recent years in Russia.”
Translation: ES
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