A discussion with the participation of dairy producers from the Hay Kat NGO was held at the Competition Protection Commission (CPC), chaired by CPC President Gegham Gevorgyan.

Dairy producers proposed a revision of payment deadlines, particularly for perishable products like milk, sour cream, and cottage cheese, which have short shelf lives. They suggested implementing shorter payment terms and increasing the percentage of damaged products deductible from income taxes, as spoilage in the dairy sector often exceeds the current 1% allowance.

CPC President Gegham Gevorgyan noted that since last year, new legislative regulations initiated by the commission have been in place, requiring retail chains to pay suppliers for food products within 30 days. In cases where payment is overdue by 90 days or the unpaid debt exceeds AMD 3 million , the commission has the authority to take administrative action. These changes have led to significant improvements in the sector, including the repayment of previously accumulated debts totaling around AMD 2.5 billion.

However, dairy producers raised additional concerns related to the specific challenges of their industry.

The meeting concluded with an agreement to explore mutually acceptable solutions to the issues raised. Emphasis was also placed on implementing measures to influence consumer behavior.