YEREVAN. – Armenia’s brandy exports fell by 15 percent while the prices reduced by up to 25 percent in the current year.

President of the Armenian Wine Makers’ Union, Avag Harutyunyan, noted the above-said at a press conference on Wednesday.

“The year wasn’t good, since we couldn’t prevent the adverse phenomena that started from the fluctuation of [the value of] the Russian ruble,” Harutyunyan said. “The prices of goods didn’t go up in the Russian market, and [therefore] the Armenian businessmen were forced to work at a loss, in an attempt to maintain [their] place in the Russian market.”

In the expert’s words, Armenian brandy is no longer competitive in the Russian market in terms of purchasing power, since Russian and Azerbaijani businesses likewise produce 3- and 4-star brandy, and in case of expensive brandy, the French product becomes competitive.

“The procurement of grapes [in Armenia] also was among this year’s tragedies,” Avag Harutyunyan added. “Today, 20 percent of the gardens are not buried. The reason is that people didn’t receive the expected money, and [therefore] they no longer trust the businessmen.”