About McGregor's Russian
Activities
The Project:
The McGregor Model Forest is
working with a consortium of highly experienced Canadian, Russian and
international partners to deepen market influences in the Nanaiski Raion
through the establishment and support of a number of commercially viable
natural resource-based enterprises. The project's goal is to increase the
region's capacity to identify and respond to market opportunities within its
natural resource sector by increasing the skills of key business and government
specialists and through the creation of new economic opportunities within the
resource sector. Specifically within its natural resource sector, the project's
objective is to improve the management, quality of output, range of goods and
services, and its market reach, through the creation of new enterprises and /or
the improvement of existing enterprises. This will be accomplished with
the provision of technical assistance in the areas of business planning,
financial management, human resource management, training, marketing, strategic
planning and strategic partnering between Canadian, Russian and international
organizations. Activities will be focused in five main
areas:
- The development of value-added wood processing capacity to the
region;
- The development of non-wood forest products
enterprises;
- The development of a regional tourism strategy, infrastructure and
enterprises;
- The development of commercial projects between Canadian and Russian
indigenous peoples;
- The creation of specially protected areas.
Target Beneficiary
Group:
 The project will benefit existing and promising local professionals
in each of the sectors identified. Specific attention will be given to
drawing strong business leaders from among the ranks of the Raion's women. The
project will work with and include local economic development and resource
planners in all aspects of the project's development and work to integrate
qualities of good corporate citizenship into each project
component.
Project Outcomes:
The immediate, measurable results
of the project will be the following:
- The creation of permanent employment;
- The creation of seasonal employment;
- The creation of a minimum of eight new business enterprises and/or
augmentation of existing enterprises;
- Increases in the productivity and product line of existing
enterprises;
- Greater involvement of women and indigenous peoples in economic
development opportunities,
- The creation of new business opportunities for Canadian interests
across a number of economic sectors.
The project is designed for
implementation over four years - from Spring 1999 to Spring 2003. Its budget is
~ $5 million of which the contribution from CIDA is ~ $3.5 million. The
government of Khabarovsk Krai has pledged $750,000 to $1,000,000 from the
Russian partner group. Canadian partners will contribute a minimum of
$750,000 in cash and kind over the life of the projects.
Justification:
The project site is the Nanaiski
Raion, of the Khabarovsk Krai region of the Russian Far East (approximately the
size of British Columbia). The economy of the Nanaiski Raion is dominated
by the forest industry, followed second by the fisheries sector. The history of
forestry in the Raion was one of aggressive harvesting, usually followed
shortly after by devastating forest fires. The result today is a forest that
has been substantially transformed and degraded by over fifty years of careless
forest practices. The Raion has only one value-added wood processing facility ,
which has operated precariously on and off for several years. The main
source of revenue within Russia's forest sector has been the export of raw
logs, principally to Japan (95% of export market).
The productivity of its fishing
sector (principally salmon), long a rich resource, has fallen precipitously in
recent years and there are warnings that a collapse of the salmon harvest is at
hand due to over-harvesting and poaching.
The official unemployment
statistics show a level of approximately 30 - 35%, however if underemployed and
those not receiving salaries were included the figure could easily rise to 60%
or higher. It is anticipated that this project will create the over
300 person months of employment in Canada, and will assist in creating over
1000 person months in Russia.
Contact:
Rick Heathman, CIDA Project
Coordinator (McGregor Model Forest)
Phone: (250)
612-5843
Fax: (250) 612-5848
Email:
rick.heathman@mcgregor.bc.ca
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