The former Vice Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia Samvel Avetisyan has told the reporter for “Arminfo” that in 2005, milk production has increased by 6%. In his words, according to the preliminary calculations of the agriculture ministry, cheese production will rise by 18% by the end of 2005, compared to 2004. In 2004, Armenian farmers and cooperative companies had produced 555 thousand tons of milk of which only 49% was sold. Ninety percent of the milk produced in Armenia is from cows and 10% is from goats, sheep and buffaloes.
It is also evident that there is a tendency for exporting Armenian cheese. Whereas 90 tons of cheese was exported in 2003, in 2004 that number was increased up to a thousand. S. Avetisyan stated that the major markets that sell Armenian cheese are still the ones in Moscow (Russia) and Los Angeles (USA). Not only does the traditional Armenian cheese be exported (cheese from Lori, Chanakh, Yeghegnadzor, Kate, Chechil and Suluguni), but also, the Dutch and French cheeses are also exported. The vice minister also said that cheese sales have reduced by 1.24% in the country during the past two years.