JSC “Firm “Agrocomplex them. N. And. Tkachev,” created by the family of the current Minister of agriculture of the Russian Federation Alexander Tkachev, for the last 10 years increased its revenue by 15 times, having reached last year’s level at 38.7 billion rubles. The main business take off was exactly at the moment when the former Governor of the Krasnodar territory went to work in the government. And revenues, and the size of land assets holding approaching the five largest agricultural holdings in the country, “Vedomosti”.
According to journalists, before the winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014, the enterprise was the Association of small agricultural farms, concentrated in native Tkachev Vyselkovsky district of Krasnodar region. “Everything changed after the Olympics in Sochi at the top was considered to be successful and recognized in it a considerable merit Tkachev, who headed the region during the preparation and holding of the Games. In the Kuban began to talk that Sochi-2014 has opened before Tkachev unlimited possibilities”, – told the publication source.
It was after this “agro” began aggressively buying up farms for the loans that were given to him Rosselkhozbank and Sberbank, says the interlocutor of journalists. All the latest purchase of the holding were prepared in 2014, but technically, the transaction was closed only in 2015 and 2016, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of concern “Pokrovsk” Andrew korovayko.
Reporters noted that over the past 2.5 years the company greatly increased: doubled revenue and land holdings, becoming one of Russia’s largest producer of rice and milk, and a leader in the production of pork and eggs in the Krasnodar region.
At the same time markedly increased debt load of the company: by the end of 2015 long-term debt of the company amounted to 27 billion rubles – 192 times more than in the 10 years before that, four times more than in 2012. Is the price of buying large-scale agricultural companies in the Krasnodar region and neighboring regions, says the publication.
It is reported that the company through intermediaries received the assets of the bankrupt companies, which were given to her at a fraction of appraised value. The change of owners led to the change of creditors, the main of which became Sberbank and Rosselkhozbank issued to the holding company and included in it companies, according to their statements, 10-year loans maturing in 2024-2026. “Such opportunities are available only to individual companies in Russia”, – said the unnamed owner of one of the agricultural holdings.
Journalists say that the 2015 family business of the Minister doubled its land Bank to 200,000 hectares Over the last and beginning of this year the area of land from the company again increased dramatically to 456 000 ha. By this measure, the holding company took the sixth place in the ranking of the largest landowners of Russia, published in April 2016 consultancy company BEFL. A year earlier, the company has occupied only 16-e a place, writes the edition.
In mid-April of this year, a government Commission found no conflict of interest that relatives of the Minister of agriculture of the Russian Federation Alexander Tkachev owned big agro-business, for the year who doubled their land holdings. Previously a corresponding check was initiated by the Deputy Alexander Khinshtein.
The question of a possible conflict of interest was related to the fact that relatives of the Minister are the founders of a number of commercial entities engaged in agricultural activities, including holding company “Agrocomplex”. The company was founded in 1993 by father Alexander Tkachev. Currently the holding includes more than 60 companies involved in animal husbandry, crop production, poultry, fodder production, meat processing, storage and logistics. “AGROKOMPLEX” also owns more than 570 stores in the Krasnodar and Stavropol edges and the Rostov region.
Tkachev in early March in an interview on NTV, said that he sees nothing wrong in what his relatives are engaged in agribusiness in the Krasnodar region. The Minister stated that his family did not enjoy any preferences in connection with the post he holds and he sees no reason for the sale of the business, which was founded by his father.
In January, the Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee for security and combating corruption, a prominent United Russia member Alexander Khinshtein said that he raised the issue of conflict of interest Minister at the meeting, Tkachev with the faction “United Russia” in the state Duma on 30 November 2015 and the Minister in response promised within a month to initiate consideration of the issue, sending the appropriate statement to the government or the government of the Russian Federation.
Tkachev in an interview with RBC in June 2015, admitted that his relatives own the agricultural enterprise, but the conflict of interest in this saw. “It’s not oil, and land, the production of milk, meat, eggs, bread… the Usual agricultural production. Enterprise I created in 1995-1996, they are small, they have more than 20 years. I have to sell? The decision should take the family… This is absolutely normal – it enterprises, plants, factories. What is the conflict?” – wondered Tkachev.
Last year it was also reported that “the Agrocomplex” and others associated with the family of the Minister of agriculture of Alexander Tkachev, the company received permission from Federal Antimonopoly service to expand its land Bank by almost half, and after the completion of this transaction, the relatives of the Minister are among the largest landowners of the country. Experts have noted that the de jure official, who formerly owned the business but came out of it, does not violate any laws.
In November last year, the media wrote about the plans of JSC “Firm “Agrocomplex them. N. And. Tkachev” to build its own distribution centre in the Crimea and to open 50-60 stores. The company already supplies to the Peninsula some types of products, but wants to expand its range, then celebrated journalists.
Tkachev was appointed Minister of agriculture of the Russian Federation in the spring of 2015. Prior to that, he held the post of Governor of the Krasnodar territory.
