Food Union supports the people of Ukraine with products, financial means and job in the Baltics
Press Release
International ice-cream producer and distributor Food Union group has expressed support to the Ukrainian nation after the invasion of the Russian army in its country. The group is donating food products, providing financial assistance and will provide jobs to Ukrainian refugees in their plants in Latvia and Estonia. The group has stopped exporting and importing to Russia.
Like the whole world, Food Union is following the dramatic events in Ukraine with huge concerns. The group, established in Latvia, currently being one of the leading ice-cream producers in Europe with a direct presence in 6 European countries, hopes for soon end of the warfare and return to negotiations.
“We are especially worried about our Ukrainian colleagues and owners who must look at this injustice in Ukraine through TV screens, while their family members and relatives are in the warfare territories. We believe that any support is valuable right now, therefore we are donating financial resources and products to the Ukrainian nation and will offer jobs to those who have left their homes and will look for asylum in the Baltic states,” said Arturs Cirjevskis, Food Union group head in Europe.
Food Union in Latvia has responded to the call of the Latvian Agricultural Ministry to provide assistance to Ukrainian residents by donating food products at the amount of 35 tons worth around EUR 100,000. Food Union companies in the Baltic states are making financial donations to the Red Cross.
“Ukraine is our significant partner – the second most important export country where we ship products from Latvian plants. We would like to continue export of products to Ukraine when it is possible again. In the meantime, we have contacted our partners in Kiev, Kharkov, Lviv and other cities, and called for all our cream cheese products in their warehouses, i.e. 50 tons, to be distributed to the local population,” said Cirjevskis.
Food Union exports products to more than 30 countries, the largest of which (by the size of exports) are Lithuania, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Norway, Denmark, the UK, Taiwan, Romania, Poland and others. The company exported an insignificant share of 1% of its whole export portfolio to Kaliningrad in Russia, which has been stopped. Purchases from Russia have also been suspended.
Food Union group is European-based manufacturer and distributor of high added value dairy products, confectionery, and frozen products with plants in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Norway and Romania. Food Union has a leading position in ice-cream markets in the Baltic states and Denmark, a strong position on Norway and Romania. Riga is the house of Food Union ice-cream competence centre, developing products for the European market. Food Union group’s global manager is Ukrainian-born Andrey Beskhmelnitsky who has obtained his experience in the dairy sector in Russia. The group is financially supported by Hong-Kong based investment company Meridian Capital Limited and one of Asia’s largest private capital companies PAG.
Find out more about Food Union here.