At a press conference today, Vazgen Safaryan, President of the Hayrenakan Brand Manufacturers Union, honed in on the rising meat prices in Armenia.

Safaryan pointed out that annually, 30,000 tons of poultry are imported to Armenia. Local production amounts to 10,000 tons.

He said that local producers have been demanded that the government adopt a more flexible tax policy regarding cheap imports with the aim of decreasing them in favour of domestic production.

Safaryan noted that poultry is often imported from Brazil and that there are quality and health issues involved in the sale of the frozen product. He pointed out that the poultry is often thawed and sold as fresh meat in various markets.

Safaryan said that local producers take advantage of the Armenian custom of having meat on the New Year’s table and thus jack up their prices. The government just doesn't have the resources to monitor the meat industry, he argued.

Marketing specialist M. Yepremyan said that egg production in Armenia had increased and that he wasn’t predicting any shortage of eggs during the holiday season as in years past.

He said that non-official sources put the reserve egg supply in Armenia at 5 million.