Near East Foundation

People We Serve

Andranik Veranyan, Fruit Dryer

With support from NEF’s Rural Armenia Economic Development project since Andranik Veranyan, recently completed the construction of a new dried fruit production facility. In his village, Ptghavan, in the northeastern province of Tavush, fruit production is a mainstay of the local economy. However, an estimated 60 percent spoils due to the villages remoteness from local markets.

In August 2011, he produced his first batch, 5000 kilograms of dried peaches, using fresh peaches purchased from community members. During this process, Andranik developed key technological insights that will enable him to solve minor manufacturing glitches before the next production phase. He is planning to install a new $3,000 compartmentalized drying system, which will allow him to organize processing more effectively when there is less sunlight.

Andranik’s fruit drying business is playing a critical role in creating jobs in the community, adding value to local production through processing, and getting local fruit production to market, where it increased income not only for himself but for all fruit producers in his community.

With support from the Regional Employment Center of Tavush and with partial Center financing, Andranik has organized training for eight people to become workers in his dried fruit production business. He now employs fifteen people, all of whom he has trained personally.

The managers of “STAR” and “Fresh” supermarkets evaluated his product and rated the quality as excellent, which surpassed the expectations of the producer and resellers. A preliminary agreement has been signed between them to buy Andranik’s entire crop of dried peaches in November 2011.

Strong micro-enterprise growth continues throughout rural Armenia, where NEF and its partners have helped 30 businesses bring economic development to their struggling communities. Rural Armenia Economic Development project is a collaborative initiative of the Near East Foundation, the Gegharkunik Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Business Pareta.

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