Controversial Ukrainian billionaire and owner of Ukraine’s largest poultry producer, Kosyuk, is trying to establish a foothold in the Croatian market

The controversial Ukrainian billionaire, owner of the MHP corporation, which deals in poultry production, grain cultivation, meat and sausage products, and also develops a fast-food chain, Yuriy Kosiuk, is trying to establish a foothold in the Croatian market.

Kosiuk is a Ukrainian businessman whose companies have been involved in many corruption scandals in Ukraine, as well as various cases related to tax evasion.

He has a fortune estimated at $520 million. While his business suffered during the first year of the full-scale war, it became profitable in the second year.

During the war, the businessman exports his products to the EU markets and sells them at lower prices, which causes discontent among local competitors. There is also ongoing work to open production facilities in Saudi Arabia.

One of these countries is Croatia. At the end of 2021, it became known that the MHP agro-holding, the largest poultry producer in Ukraine, planned to invest heavily in the construction of facilities in Croatia’s agro-industrial sector and in tourism.

From left to right: Ivica Piric – leading advisor to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Ukraine, honorary consul of Ukraine in Croatia; Andrej Plenković – Prime Minister of Croatia; Yuriy Kosiuk – controversial Ukrainian businessman

From left to right: Ivica Piric – leading advisor to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Ukraine, honorary consul of Ukraine in Croatia; Yuriy Kosiuk – controversial Ukrainian businessman; Tugomir Majdak – Minister of Agriculture of Croatia

At that time, consultations began with local authorities, document processing, and obtaining permits. Kosiuk then stated that his initiative received significant support from the Croatian government along with the competent ministries.

Now, after 2 years of war, the EU is limiting the import of poultry from Ukraine. Thus, EU officials are trying to appease their farmers and protect them from competition and cheap products from Ukraine. But whether these restrictions will work is a big question.

MHP, the largest Ukrainian poultry producer, has already created a developed ecosystem in Europe and continues to expand it. According to Kosiuk, in Croatia, the Ukrainian agro-holding plans to build more than 200 poultry farms, a feed mill, a chick hatchery, a processing plant, and a slaughterhouse in five regions. The production capacity of the complex will be about 30 million chicks per year. Kosiuk estimates the project’s cost at 340 million euros.

Kosiuk plans to start construction in the spring of 2024, and production may start at the end of 2025. However, what the Ukrainian business with a corrupt background might bring to Croatia’s economy is a huge question.

In our next publications, we will examine what connects Yuriy Kosiuk with Croatian politicians and where he got the millions of dollars for investment in the Croatian market.