Olives can win a new fame for Bagratashen community, once famous for its border market. It’s one of the unique villages in Armenia where olive grows and where olives have been processed for already several months.

During the Soviet period, the community had around 200 ha olive orchards while now only 60 ha remain. The locals cultivate the gardens and they have realized this year’s entire olive harvest to the production facility established locally specifically for processing olives.

Head of Bagratashen village Arkady Makyan has high hopes for this production facility – if the production increases, it might greatly contribute to the economic development of the village.

“They have repaired a small building and it’s where the production is carried out. It’s good we have this production facility as it might grow into a large factory one day and the olive harvest will also grow. Unfortunately, we had limited harvest last year, but this year is promising and we hope to have a better yield,” the village head told Banks.am.

Viva Fruit is engaged in olive processing. Viva Fruit director Vigen Hovhannisyan told Banks.am that as of now they have employed three people. “Our family members are also working. On the whole, six people work in the production facility.”

In mid-October 2014, the village’s olive orchards yielded around 600 kg harvest out of which 1000 jars of processed olives were made.

“The product is sold at AMD 1500-2000. We are still in the pilot stage of production. Nobody believes Armenia has olive and our current task is to make our product known in the world. We are planning to realize it in Armenia. It still has to pass its way in Armenia and only then we will consider exporting it,” said Vigen Hovhannisyan.

As to the quality of the product, Vigen Hovhannisyan believes the olive growing in Bagratashen is of a very high quality. “It is without preservatives. We use only salt and water. The imported olives can’t have this taste. It’s even better than the Greek olive,” he said.

The current conditions of Viva Fruit’s production facility are sufficient to process the existing harvest. The main issue is the small scale of the gardens. The company is also going to grow olives. They have planted around 1 ha gardens but it takes years to have a harvest.

Speaking about plans for future, Vigen Hovhannisyan said if the crop is good, they will increase the production and parallel with that, will build a factory.

Marie Taryan
Photos: Author