ARMENIAN MEAT IMPORTERS FROM INDIA PREFER TO ECONOMIZE $300 PER TONNE, NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE QUALITY OF MEAT

ArmInfo
2009-08-19 18:03:00

ArmInfo. Purchasing the meat of bull from India Armenian importers
import cheaper and low quality product, the head of the board on the
state and legal issues under the Armenian government, Ashot Vahanyan,
said at the consultation in the Armenian government today.

On 2-9 August official delegation of Armenia headed by Vahanyan visited
India to learn the export conditions of the meat of bull widely
used in Armenia for production of sausage products. The delegation
visited several Indian meat production factories and met the relevant
representatives of the governmental departments. He said that at some
of these factories meat processing did not meet elementary sanitary
norms – the video showed crows in the production halls. He also added
that the big number of Armenian producers purchase meat from Indian
producers which do not have quality certificates, in particular,
ISO and HACCP. Only 21% of the meat of bull from India meet sanitary
norms and have the relevant certificates. Vahanyan thinks that Armenian
importers prefer purchasing meat from India because of its low price. ,
– he said. Participants in the consultation think that if meat will
be purchased only from the producers which gave certificates, in that
case the price of the sausage products in Armenia will grow by 30%.

Vahanyan said that over 7 months of 2009 more than 6 thsd tonnes
of the bull meat were imported from India to Armenia and about 3,5
thsd tonnes are on the way to Armenia. The total of 8 companies are
importing the bull meat from India over the current year.