A strong raw material base for the footwear industry is planned to be created in the Vitebsk region
The project for creating a powerful raw material base for the fur, leather, and footwear industry was considered today at a meeting of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, reports BELTA correspondent.
According to the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Kosinets, within the next few years, for the development of the region's fur, leather, and footwear industry, it is planned to build a large plant for processing leather raw materials and producing leather in the amount of 1 million sq. m per year on the territory of the Vitebsk Fur Combine, and to increase the production capacities for footwear at the joint ventures "Marko" and "Belvest" to 6-6.5 million pairs per year each. In order to coordinate the work of organizations in the leather and footwear industry, holdings will be created on the basis of the latter - the leather and footwear "Marko Company" and the footwear "Belvest Company".
In order to increase production capacities, it is envisaged that each of these companies will create new production facilities. Sites for construction have been offered to the heads of "Marko" and "Belvest". "Along with this, you can also use the already available base," the chairman of the regional executive committee suggested to Nikolai Martynov and Yuri Sumaneev. As possible options, he named the vacant premises of the Novopolotsk enterprise "Izmeritel" and the Vitebsk enterprise "Evistor". "When creating new production facilities, the regional executive committee is ready to help with construction and installation work, while the task of purchasing the necessary equipment and attracting investments for these purposes will fall on you," Alexander Kosinets noted, setting the task to implement these projects by July 1, 2014.
Significant attention was paid to the creation of a powerful raw material base for this industry during the discussion of the project. It is planned that hides of cattle, small ruminants, pigs, and fur-bearing animals will be supplied by organizations of the region. For this purpose, it is planned to build 21 sheep-breeding farms (for 100 thousand heads) and 15 fur-bearing animal farms in the districts of the region. To provide the latter with feed, fish farming will receive additional development. The total investment required for the creation of the raw material base is preliminarily estimated at over Br3 trillion.
"Furthermore, the issue of staffing requires special attention, as the commissioning of new production facilities will require a significant number of qualified workers," noted Alexander Kosinets. To this end, he instructed to consider the possibility of opening new specialties for training the necessary personnel at the Vitebsk State Technological University and the Vitebsk State Vocational and Technical College of Light Industry, which already train specialists for the footwear industry enterprises.
"Overall, each of the project's points requires refinement. Additionally, it is necessary to calculate in more detail the volume of investments required for its implementation. Everything needs to be thoroughly finalized," concluded Alexander Kosinets. He instructed the working group, which included Lyudmila Tyaglova, Deputy Chairman of the Bellegprom concern, to complete this task by the end of the month.
According to the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Economy Committee, there are 7 enterprises in the Vitebsk region belonging to the footwear industry, including 4 enterprises that are part of the Bellegprom concern (SOOO "Marko", SOOO "Belvest", ChP "San-Marko", OAO "Krasny Oktyabr" - footwear production), and 3 enterprises without departmental subordination - ChP "Vitmа", OOO "Happy Family", OOO "Nazvit". Approximately 5,000 people are employed in the footwear industry, including at RUP "Vitebsk Fur Combine" (the only enterprise in the republic specializing in processing various types of fur, sheepskin, and karakul-smyushkovoe raw materials and manufacturing products from tanned hides) - 200 people.
The region produces 45.3% of the total footwear output in the country (based on 2011 results). The production capacities of the region's footwear organizations amount to 6.57 million pairs per year and are utilized at 95.9%. For the first 9 months of 2012, the region's footwear enterprises produced 4.7 million pairs, which corresponds to the 2011 level. More than 40% of the total production volume of footwear enterprises is exported, including SOOO "Marko" - 55.2%, SOOO "Belvest" - 68.6%.