AM PARTNERS

European Neighborhood Partnership Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) Project supports the Government of the Republic of Armenia in the development of efficient and sustainable agriculture, which will contribute to the improvement of the livelihoods of the rural population. The technical assistance component of ENPARD Project focuses on producer groups and value chain development.

Under ENPARD Project, support will be extended to dried food production sector in Armenia. “Dried food” commodity group includes dried fruits, berries, vegetables and herbs. ENPARD Project intervention strategy aims to support 2-4 producers of dried food, for the latter to enhance the quality of their production via compliance with food safety requirements and to mitigate climate-induced losses and instability and to improve the process of production planning. ENPARD Project supports dried food producers to expand the volume of product sales in local and international markets. Increase in fruit processing and dried food production volumes will be targeted at in the future with a view to expand exports.    

To conduct market research for dried food and analyze the value chain, the Consultant interviewed and collected information from participants at all levels of the value chain, including:  

• 39 dried food producers from 6 marzes of Armenia (Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Kotayk, Syunik, Tavush marzes), including major producers,  
• Exporters.

The Consultant surveyed and interviewed the representatives of institutional entities and experts, including:

• National Statistical Service,
• Customs Service,
• State Service for Food Safety,
• State and regional administration bodies and agencies, including RA Ministry of Agriculture, Agriculture Departments of regional administrations, Marz Agricultural Support Centers,
• “Dried Food Producers Association” NGO,
• International Organizations implementing support projects, including the Center of Agribusiness and Rural Development Foundation, OXFAM, UNDP.  

For the collection of secondary data, the following were used:

• Studies and analyses on dried food market conducted in different timeframes, 
• Huge amount of data available on the Internet, including statistical data and analytical journalistic writing, interviews with dried food value chain participants etc.

Data collection from the abovementioned sources was conducted using various methods:

• Data from direct participants of the value chain was collected through face-to-face interviews. Data were collected on the source location.  In particular, in marzes the “snowball method” of data collection was extensively applied when the respondents themselves provided information about other sources,
• Data from institutional entities possessing statistical and expert information were obtained in response to written requests or via face-to-face interviews.
• The review and summing-up of all data on the Internet was conducted through a desk research. 

Based on the data and findings of dried food market research and value chain analysis, an analytical report was prepared with the following contents:

• Dried Food Market
• Production (producers, production volumes, product range, geography of production)
• Export (exporters, export volumes, range of exported products, export countries)
• Import (importers, import volumes, range of imported products, countries of origin)
• Market Size
• Dried Food Value Chain Analysis
• Value Chain Mapping (main functions of the value chain, the participants, market balance, map)
• Description of the Value Chain (raw material supply, organization of production and sales)
• Main Issues in the Value Chain and the Ways to Address them
• Dried Food Export Markets ResearchRecommendations on Accessing the International Market for Dried Food
• International Market for Dried Food
• Target Markets for Armenian Dried Food (types of dried food most demanded, retail and wholesale prices, estimation of sales potential)
• Recommendations on Accessing the International Market for Dried Food