YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Starting September 10, the 2006 grapes purchase season began at the Yerevan Brandy Company (YBC). Grigor Alexanian, manager of the YBC Armavir branch, informed reporters that this year the company envisages to buy 30 thousand tons of grapes, which is more by 5 thousand tons than last year. According to G. Alexanian, the price of 1 kg of grapes at the YBC Armavir and Aygavan branches is 130 drams (about 0.32 dollars), while the price of 1 kg at the Tavush branch is 123 drams. He noted that the grapes purchase price has not declined compared with the previous years. In 2006, the YBC signed more than 2,400 new agreements with vine-growers, with the total number of agreements making 5,500. Under such agreements, vine growers are obliged to supply the company with a certain amount of grapes for brandy production, while the YBC in its turn provides the vine growers with fertilizers, chemical weed and pest killers and gives advice. G. Alexanian said that taking into account a decline in the crop yield due to the unfavorable weather this year, the amount of grapes to be purcahsed has been recalculated and reduced. The Armavir branch manager said that grapes are purchased at the branch, then subjected to primary processing to make wine material and then brandy spirit. According to him, 925 thousand tons of wine material will be obtained from 12.5 thousand tons of grapes at the branch, and 155 thousand decaliters of spirit will be obtained by distilling the wine material. It is envisaged to get over 300 thousand decaliters of brandy spirit from the grapes purchased at the three branches.

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