New 50,000 tonne-capacity grain terminal opens in Järva County
The Estonian farmers' cooperative Kevili has opened a grain processing terminal in Mäo, Järva County, with capacity to produce up to 50,000 tonnes of cereals and pulses.
Hannes Prits, chair of Kevili's management board, told ETV show "Aktuaalne kaamera" that although the Mäo grain terminal was opened on October 18, it started taking in grain and pulses in July.
Grain stocking has gone better than expected. "It was definitely not a record year in Estonia this year, more like slightly above average or even slightly below. But this particular terminal did very well and the interest from farmers in supplying grain here was surprisingly high, even for us," said Prits.
One of the things that attracts farmers to Mäo is its good location.
"The benefit is purely that logistically it makes our management and transport a lot better than it was before, when everyone just did their own thing at home," said Üllar Kaaver, a grain farmer in Rannu District.
Kevili now has three grain terminals, but Mäo has the advantage of having two dryers, which allows it to dry pulses – peas and beans – on site. The first 3,000 tonnes of peas dried at the Mäo grain terminal have already been shipped to Norway.
"The vast majority of the grain collected here is actually exported. Wheat mainly goes to Africa, for barley we don't have any agreements yet, but traditionally we have exported to Spain and Portugal. Peas and beans tend to be traded to Scandinavia," explained Prits.
In the next phase of construction, another cereal threshing floor will be completed at the Mäo terminal, as well as a seed center and a plant protection floor. Speaking at the inauguration of the Mäo grain terminal, Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Piret Harman (SDE), said it was a fantastic example of very good cooperation between Estonian farmers.
Altogether, including the purchase of the land, construction work and technology, the first phase of work on the complex cost €14 million.
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Editor: Merili Nael, Michael Cole
Source: "Aktuaalne kaamera"