Economist: Unscrupulous cognac producers account for 12% in Armenia

ArmInfo. Unscrupulous cognac producers account for 12% of the market in Armenia.This was stated  during a press conference on August 28 by Aghasi Tavadyan, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor and a member of the Eurasian Economic Club.  

According to him, the main exporters do not have any problems.  The issue lies with small producers who use cheap foreign alcohol as  the base for their products. This practice can harm the reputation of  Armenian cognac and its brand. The economist emphasized the  importance of paying special attention to this area.

In turn, Aram Safaryan, the coordinator of the Eurasian Economic  Club, noted that Armenian cognac production is robust enough for  conscientious producers with strong ties to the Russian market to  weather these conditions. According to him, violations were primarily  found among small producers. In light of this, the expert outlined  the importance of adhering to regulations by introducing laboratories  and a certification system.

Recall that earlier, the international association "Anti-counterfeit"  (RF) and the Union of Cognac, Alcohol and Alcoholic Beverages  Producers conducted research on 20 brands of Armenian cognac (177  samples) supplied to the Russian market. According to these two  organizations, violations were identified in 89% of the products.  Only 23 samples complied with GOST and the legal requirements of the  Russian Federation.  According to the RA Statistical Committee,  Armenia increased its cognac production by 14.7% to 9.4 million  liters in the first half of 2024.  The Customs Service does not  provide separate data on cognac exports.