EXHIBITION OF SME PRODUCTION OPENS IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Dec 03 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The 18 million-dollar project
on Armenian Agribusiness Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Market
Development has provided assistance to Armenian SMEs, particularly
those engaged in food processing, for over 7 years, the project
director Gary Kilmer stated at the opening ceremony of the exhibition
of production Armenian SMEs on December 3. According to him, more than
500 farms have received assistance under this project, with the total
amount of their export and domestic sale making 55 million dollars
over these years.

The U.S. charge d’affaires in Armenia Joseph Pennington said that
a greater growth in the Armenian economy will be registered in case
of agribusiness’ development. In his opinion, a number of programs
should be worked out in this direction in Armenia, and if the private
sector is promoted, Armenia will also develop.

The director of the Yeghvard yeast factory Arsen Khachatrian informed
those present that new workshops have been built and modern conveyers
have been installed at the factory with 41 thousand dollars invested
under the SME program. In his words, in 2000, their production made up
10% of the domestic market, whereas in 2007 – 75%. Dry and wet yeast
produced by their factory is now exported to Ukraine and Georgia,
and it is envisaged to start exporting it to Iran in the near future.

During the opening ceremony, G. Kilmer was presented with a gold
medal of the RA ministry of agriculture.