Armenia wants to re-launch production of cranesbill essential oil
The author of the project, Aren Ter-Balyan, told Armenian News – NEWS.am that the project has already been submitted to the Government and the issue of support is currently under discussion.
In Soviet Armenia, state farms round Hoktemberyan (now Armavir) were one of the Union centers for growing cranesbill (along with Georgia and Tajikistan). The essential oil plant was located there. Its strong fragrance is the important part of many perfume recipes.
In the 90s, the connections with perfume plants of the former Soviet republics were severed, the plant was robbed and the farmers stopped growing cranesbill. But when Aren went to agree on the seeds, elderly villagers immediately recalled the old times and their earnings. (1 kg of cranesbill oil cost roughly 300 Soviet rubles).
There Aren also got acquainted with the technologist of the former plant. “When he learnt what we want, he said: “You can rely on me in the issue of technology.” Thus, he will either find or train the necessary specialists himself. The only thing left is to find nursery plants to distribute to the villagers. There are almost no nursery plants left here. We will try to get them, and will bring the rest,” Ter-Balyan added.
His family decided to re-launch the production, first and foremost, for their own company. “Our company, Bnatur, produces make-up from natural ingredients. Thus, we decided to have our own raw material at our disposal. Then we will know for sure that no chemicals have been added to it,” he said.
“In the 90s, China drastically increased the cranesbill planting. But Ter-Balyan is not afraid of competition. The French perfumers are very exigent as regards the aromatic agents. Therefore, they don’t buy bulk commodities, say, from China or Egypt, but acquire them from the African Réunion island instead. We also want to compete by quality. All the more so because according to the technologist, in the Soviet times the essential and spirit indexes of our cranesbill were high,” he noted.
In the coming months, the company wants to find investors and install production equipment. “We haven’t yet chosen the location. We want to station ourselves where more farmers will express a wish to sow. In the conditions of our country, it is sowed from spring to fall. We want to distribute nursery plants to the villagers by spring 2018. We also want to look for investors by then,” the perfumer said.
