Armenian government to create a fund to facilitate development of viticulture and winemaking
YEREVAN, June 23. /ARKA/. The Armenian government has decided today to set up the Fund for Development of Viticulture and Winemaking ‘to build on the successes already registered in this sector,’ touted as one of the most promising agricultural directions.
However, according to agriculture minister Sergo Karapetyan, the sector still has a string of problems stemming not only from strictly objective economic reasons, but also from the inability of local wine unions and associations to implement a single development policy.
In his words, no effective solutions have been found yet to improve the quality of Armenian grapes and wines, to expand their range and create and promote a single Armenian brand.
The Fund that will cooperate actively with the private sector will address all these issues with the focus being on improving the quality of Armenian wines to make them more competitive in the domestic and foreign markets, according to minister Karapetyan.
Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan said in his turn that a similar fund in Georgia has achieved significant results, exporting over 25 million bottles of wines in 5 months.
According to Armenia’s Customs Service, exports of wine in 2015 slashed by 31.5% to about 1.5 million liters, while the customs value of exported wines dropped to $4.1 million from $6.3 million in 2014.
About 79% of Armenian wines are exported to the Russian Federation. Thus, in 2015 some 1,150,600 litters of wine were sold to Russia worth $ 2.9 million, down from 1,713,800 liters in 2014 worth $4.4 million.
According to Armenia’s National Statistical Service, wine production in 2015 decreased by 4% to 5, 931,900 liters. ($ 1 - 476.32 drams). --0-
However, according to agriculture minister Sergo Karapetyan, the sector still has a string of problems stemming not only from strictly objective economic reasons, but also from the inability of local wine unions and associations to implement a single development policy.
In his words, no effective solutions have been found yet to improve the quality of Armenian grapes and wines, to expand their range and create and promote a single Armenian brand.
The Fund that will cooperate actively with the private sector will address all these issues with the focus being on improving the quality of Armenian wines to make them more competitive in the domestic and foreign markets, according to minister Karapetyan.
Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan said in his turn that a similar fund in Georgia has achieved significant results, exporting over 25 million bottles of wines in 5 months.
According to Armenia’s Customs Service, exports of wine in 2015 slashed by 31.5% to about 1.5 million liters, while the customs value of exported wines dropped to $4.1 million from $6.3 million in 2014.
About 79% of Armenian wines are exported to the Russian Federation. Thus, in 2015 some 1,150,600 litters of wine were sold to Russia worth $ 2.9 million, down from 1,713,800 liters in 2014 worth $4.4 million.
According to Armenia’s National Statistical Service, wine production in 2015 decreased by 4% to 5, 931,900 liters. ($ 1 - 476.32 drams). --0-