Monday, February 4 2019 15:13

ArmInfo.Procedural issues with the State Revenue Committee (SRC) of Armenia are resolved and there will be no problems with the import of crocodile eggs anymore.  The founder of the Armon Company, geologist Khachatur Sargsyan stated this on February 4 in an interview with journalists.

In September 2018, the governor of the Ararat region caused a stir  with a message about the construction of a crocodile farm. The farm  was planned to be opned in the community of Dashtavan, Ararat region,  20-25 hectares of land were leased. It was planned that the company  will invest $ 1.5 million in the first year, and in the next 5 years  the investment will reach $ 10 million. It was reported that 100 Nile  crocodile eggs will be imported for breeding crocodiles, in the  future it is planned to bring their number to thousands. Farm  products will be sold abroad. Meat will be fully exported to East  Asian countries, and leather - to Europe.  An entrepreneur from  Tanzania who is implementing similar projects in several countries  initiated the project. However, the main problem in opening a farm  was a problem with the import of crocodile eggs, with which the  customs service had a problem and has not yet found a solution. As it  turned out, in the register of goods to be imported into Armenia  there is no "crocodile eggs" category, in connection with which the  customs officers do not know under what name they release the goods -  "bird eggs" or "mammal eggs", since they do not fall under any  category.

According to the entrepreneur, today it was possible to clarify under  which code the crocodile eggs - birds or beasts will be imported. "We  asked SRC to clarify under which code it is possible to import. It  turned out that when importing eggs the code is <bird>, and if live  crocodiles are imported, then it is called <animal>. The issue is  resolved>," Sargsyan said

The cost of one imported egg will be $ 400; imports are planned from  3-4 different African countries - Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia.  Then the import of Nile crocodiles is expected, with the aim of  establishing a farm for their breeding in the Ararat region. This,  according to the businessman, will be an excellent opportunity to  attract tourists, since it is not only about opening a crocodile farm  in the village of Dashtavan, Ararat region.

As part of the project, as Sargsyan pointed out, a whole "Ecopark of  astonishment" will be opened, and the farm will become only a part of  a huge infrastructure. "It is regrettable that everyone is talking  about crocodiles, but not talking about the rest. We are going to  build infrastructure here that is not in Armenia today - playgrounds  for children, dogs, outdoor fitness conditions, bicycle paths, an  artificial wave pool and etc. "," he said.

The project starts completely from March 1 and is completed within 5  years. A plant in Gyumri will be opned for the processing of  crocodile leather, and as a result of the project, about 300-500 jobs  will be established.