WINERIES OF ARMENIA INCREASED PURCHASE OF GRAPES IN 2006 BY 10,9%

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 30 2006

The wineries of Armenia have increased the volumes of grapes purchase
in 2006 by 10,9% to 106,055 thsd tons against the last year’s 95,592
thsd tons, the Head of the Department of Crop Production of RA Ministry
of Agriculture, Garnik Petrossyan, told ArmInfo correspondent.

According to him, the growth of purchases is conditioned on a
favourable harvest of grapes this year, as well as on extension of
the Armenian wineries’ foreign markets. The leader for purchases is
the Yerevan Brandy Company, to the share of which fell 28 thsd tons of
grapes. The next are the Yerevan "Ararat" winery, which has purchased
15,048 thsd tons of grapes, the Proshyan winery, 6,250 thsd tons,
the Armavir "MAP" winery, 6,030 thsd tons and other wineries.

The average purchase price for 1 kg of grapes in 2006 varied within
130-145 drams and has not nearly changed as compared with 2005, G.
Petrossyan said. He added that, according to on-line data, the harvest
of grapes in 2006 made up 175 thsd tons against 164 thsd tons in 2005.