Vegetus, a Kharkiv family business specializing in the production of vegan and vegetarian sausages, suffered significant losses due to the recent flooding in the Czech Republic. This disaster was another blow for the company, which has already experienced difficult times due to Russian shelling in Ukraine.
The firm worked in the village of Ceska Ves, in the area of the city of Jeseník, Radio Prague notes. In 2022, Larisa Gonska and her husband moved the company there from Kharkiv, which is under fire from the Russian invaders.
During the flood, the water that entered the production premises flooded and rendered unusable the equipment, raw materials and finished products that were stored there. The Ukrainian couple plans to start anew, but now they do not have enough funds to restore the production, which was completely destroyed by the flood, and the entrepreneurs organized a fundraiser, reports ČTK.
The Vegetus company produced 20 types of vegetarian sausages, sausages, hamburgers and special sauces. It sent approximately 90% of its products to Ukraine, part of it as humanitarian aid. 10% of the product was sold in the Czech Republic and Germany.
"The enterprise is practically destroyed. Water flooded all production facilities to a height of about one meter. We are surprised by her strength. The floors in the cold rooms were torn out, some equipment and large cold rooms or pallets of raw materials were carried by the current to different parts of the plant. The water opened the warehouse door and carried some items into the yard and into the river. Water also flooded all technological equipment and its electrical parts, electric motors, compressors, pumps. All stocks and packing materials were destroyed. This is a death blow to our small manufacturing business. We thank God that we are alive and that our daughter is safe, because her school in Kharkiv, like our house, was hit by Russian bombs. But it is very difficult and sad. To save production from bombs and fire, only to be flooded in the Czech Vesa - is incomprehensible. During this time, we transported 20 trucks of equipment and raw materials from Kharkov, fleeing the war, and all of it was flooded by high water. Unfortunately, the company did not have insurance. - say the owners.
