The initial delivery of over 300 great-grandparent stock, worth £1/4 million, is to be followed by further shipments later in 2007, amounting to a total of 640 nucleus animals when complete.

All the high-health nucleus stock will be supplied from ACMC's isolation farm, near Malton, North Yorkshire.

The animals will be used to stock a new nucleus breeding herd being set up by Agrofirma SABA, an integrated farming operation, in the Sabinski region of Tatarstan under a franchise agreement. This will supply breeding animals to multiplying farms in the area, which will then produce improved stock for commercial production locally.

Agriculture farms an important sector of the Tatarstan's national economy - employing 13 per cent of the population - and the Republic sells 20 per cent of its meat output to other Russian regions. Investment and development of agribusiness is seen as a priority by the Tartarstan authorities and receives significant state support.

The order came about following an approach by the farm's owner, Damir Faizerakhmanov, who heard about ACMC's growing reputation in Europe and arranged a visit to the company's Upton nucleus farm at the company's Beeford headquarters in East Yorkshire.

As part of the deal SABA's new manager, Pere Rovira Verges, a veterinary surgeon from Spain, has received six weeks intensive training at Upton Farm.

On the back of this contract, a further order for 1,500 high-health hybrid parent gilts has been placed.

Outlining the scale of the agreement, ACMC chairman Stephen Curtis said: "The nucleus foundation stock currently being supplied will support 60,000 commercial sows which, in turn, will produce over 3 million slaughter pigs annually for Tatarstan and adjoining regions.

"Russia, with its huge - and increasingly-valuable - oil and gas reserves now has the money to invest in becoming self-sufficient in food production. As a means to this end, along with the quality of the breeding stock, they are keen to make use of the technical genetic support that a company like ours can provide, which is why we've established an on-going technical agreement," he added.

Pictured on the Agrofirma SABA, unit in Tatarstan are (l to r) the manager, Pere Rovira Verges; translator, Guzel Rakhmatullina; ACMC technical director Ed Sutcliffe; ACMC chairman, Stephen Curtis; owner Damir Faizerakhmanov and ACMC managing director Matthew Curtis.	Through the Russian snows - the picturesque village of Evlashtau where a new nucleas unit is being set with ACMC stock by Agrofirma SABA, an integrated farming operation, in the Sabinski region of Tatarstan
	Building for the future - part of the farm where genetically-improved pigs from Yorkshire-based ACMC will supply commercial herds capable of producing 3 million pigs annually