ArmInfo. Armenia's Minister of Agriculture Ignatiy Arakelyan urged the Armenian consumers to buy Roquefort cheese on farmer fairs to help employees of bankrupt enterprise, he stated about this at the press conference on the results of the year in Yerevan on December 24.
According to the data of the Ministry two agricultural fairs will be held daily in Yerevan between December 24 and December 30. The two fairs, one near Mashtots Avenue and the other at Kasyan Street, will open at 9:00am. Those farmers, who sell their own production, are allowed to trade at the fair. Farmers from Chambarak town will also be allowed at the fairs, who will sell Roquefort cheese. Thus, employees of "Ashtarak Kat" company, who have not been paid salaries for several months, hope to earn money by selling cheese, which they have received instead of salary.
To recall, Ashtarak Kat Company, one of the leaders on the dairy market in Armenia, was declared bankrupt. The enterprise is in debt not only to its employees but also farmers, suppliers of milk. The bankrupt company has given Roquefort cheese to people of Chambarak instead of salaries at the price of 2000 drams ($4 or 265 RUR) for 1kg. The company launched production of the Roquefort cheese under MolderBlue brand in 2014 hoping to export it to Russia and improve financial condition. Currently the enterprises undergoes process of change of owner, US Agra Remara company may become the new owner.
Chamabarak town's Mayor Yura Avalyan has informed that people have not been paid salaries for 7-8 months. Moreover, debt for purchasing milk has not been redeemed for 4-5 months. According to him currently there are nearly 60 tons of Roquefort cheese on the plant but there is problem of selling it. "We are searching for markets and trying to establish contacts for exporting to Russia", the Mayor noted. The Company has given 40 tons of Roquefort cheese to the people of Chambarak. As of December 20 the company has managed to sell nearly 10-13 tons of cheese and the earned money was spent for redemption of debts to employees and milk suppliers.