Reindeer slaughterhouses for Russia

A Finnish company plans to build the world’s largest and most modern reindeer slaughterhouse in the small Siberian village of Yar-Sale, the first in a series of 160 modern reindeer slaughterhouses planned for Russia over the next few years.

The new slaughterhouse in Yar-Sale will handle 3,000 to 5,000 animals during the winter months.

The Helsingin Sanomat newspaper notes that conditions faced by the Russian reindeer industry have deteriorated considerably since the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

Transportation costs have skyrocketed, and helicopters can no longer be used to take the meat to market. Wages for reindeer are marginal, and, as a result, motivation to work in the industry has waned.

In Siberia, the reindeer industry is threatened by pollution from the oil and mining industries. Changes in the Siberian climate have made the grazing of reindeer increasingly difficult.

However, local leaders are now optimistic that the Finnish-built slaughterhouse will help rescue the Russian reindeer industry.

Apparently, the emerging Russian middle class considers reindeer meat to be a delicacy, and Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other major cities consume as much reindeer products as can be delivered.