May 19, 2015 - 11:15 AMT
INTERVIEW
Alexey Dmitriev:
History of our fish starts on top of biblical Ararat
Fish products by the Armenia-based ARTEZIANICA company are becoming increasingly preferred by Russians. The owner of the Armenian processing company ARTEZIANICA Alexey Dmitriev shared the secret of their popularity, innovative technologies used by the company, prospects of the development of fish farming sector in Armenia.
Alexey, Armenia is already known as a regional leader for aquaculture, with a number of fish farming businesses operating in the republic. Your company is among the major Armenian exporters of fish products. Why is the ARTEZIANICA production preferred among others?
First of all, it’s due to the company concept - Dynamic Organic. The history of our fish starts on top of biblical mount of Ararat. It was a melting snow from that very mountain that originated the unique natural springs of the valley of Ararat where we farm our fish. We also pride ourselves in our innovative technologies and feeding program developed in Denmark. The result is the unique organic product with a pure, original taste. A staff of certified professionals and strict control over every chain of production are the motive force and guarantee of quality of ARTEZIANICA production. We can safely say we know all there is to know about our fish – from the moment its caught to the time it appears in the store or at the customers’ doors.

The ecological issue has been recently actualized – the use of Artesian wells in the valley of Ararat can lead to ddepletion of natural water resources in Armenia.
By investing in the Armenian business we were planning a long-term cooperation, which calls for careful treatment of the resources of the country we build our business in. I'd like to cite a simple fact – ARTEZIANICA is among the top companies for sparing use of water resources and artesian wells. As a leading fish farming business, our use of water is almost 50 times lower compared to some other fish farming companies.

Modern technologies and careful use of resources are the key issues in the fishing industry in Armenia. Monopoly, unjustified large scale of production, abuse of water resources and violations of market rules are obsolete phenomena, which hinder development of the field. The art of fish breeding differs greatly from spares sale or hotel management. Cooperation with experts, consideration of the fish growth rates, spawning, possible diseases and other factors are of great importance. ARTEZIANICA technologies allow enriching the water with oxygen and feed the fish with fodder ideal for the certain species. These two components – quality fodder and water circulation – is one of the best principles to save water resources.

Armenia is located in a complicated region, where its transport possibilities are limited. Russia, which is the main destination of Armenian production export, is now hit by Western sanctions, ruble devaluation and falling oil prices. Did your company come across any problems under the circumstances?
Actually, currency fluctuations hamper the export possibilities of Armenian producers at foreign markets. We should also acknowledge the drop of demand in Russia. However, as President Vladimir Putin noted recently, those who are now leaving the market will inevitably have problems when coming back. Understanding the situation, we accept the risks, including financial ones, and carry out our contracts with great responsibility. Under the circumstances, Russian companies prefer to cooperate with trustworthy partners. That’s why we manage to operate successfully and even expand our assortment.

How do you, as a Russian investor, see the prospects of fish breeding in Armenia?
We certainly want this field to develop, with Armenia creating new jobs and entering history as a country breeding rare and unique fish species. ARTEZIANICA, in turn, will introduce new technologies and train specialists. Fish breeding and caviar processing is an art, it’s not a mass art, and we are ready to export this art to the world.