Who Will Buy Our ‘Lori’ and ‘Chanakh’ in the EU? Expert Discusses Dairy Export

Exporting dairy products from Armenia to the European Union is considered pointless and unrealistic. This opinion was expressed in an interview with Sputnik Armenia by Khachatur Poghosyan, head of the ‘Armenian Dairy’ Producers Association, while discussing the prospects of exporting Armenian dairy products to the EU.

Since July 27, Russia has limited the import of dairy products from Armenia. Representatives from the World Bank believe that the restriction on the export of agricultural and dairy products to Russia puts Armenia's export revenue from dairy at significant risk, as recent data indicates that around 78.3% of exported dairy products were directed towards the Russian market. Following the restrictions imposed by Russia, there were opinions that the Armenian government would soon announce that the European market is open for Armenian dairy products.

“We are not the country that can export dairy products, especially cheese, to the EU. Europe might accept good goat or sheep cheese, but who will buy our ‘Lori’ and ‘Chanakh’ varieties? There are thousands of tons of various cheeses produced in European markets. Will the EU allow us to export cheese there? Perhaps a large Armenian community and some significant Armenian business operator would buy around 100 kg, but that does not mean we have entered the European market. Will they buy our ‘Mozzarella’, ‘Gouda’, or ‘Parmesan’ types of cheese?” said Poghosyan.

He emphasized that Armenia has exported very little dairy overall, mainly cheese. According to the expert, Armenia produces about 26,000 tons of cheese annually, of which approximately 2,000 to 3,000 tons are exported to Russia.

“I don’t think that not exporting dairy products to Russia will significantly harm agriculture or cheese production. There would be a serious impact if 50% of cheese were previously exported, but in this case, it’s not a problem. It won't be a serious blow because over 90% of our produced dairy products are consumed by the domestic market,” Poghosyan added, noting that Armenian dairy products are primarily exported to Georgia.

The expert stressed that Armenia is nevertheless losing market access, and the Ministry of Economy of Armenia should be contacted to clarify the reasons for this issue.

It should be noted that Rosselkhoznadzor began restricting imported goods from Armenia in May, initially targeting fish and flowers, followed by certain types of fruits and vegetables. From June 2, Rosselkhoznadzor restricted the import of stone fruits—cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines, and grapes—from Armenia. The agency explains these decisions by citing detected violations and the need to ensure phytosanitary safety. Russia is the main market for Armenian agricultural products, accounting for more than 90% of Armenia's exports.