Taron Yeritsyan has been engaged in poultry farming in Armavir city in Armenia for five years. Now, thanks to support provided by the EU in 2017, his small family farm has hatched into a fully-fledged egg and chick production, recording double growth.

A major contribution to the expansion and growth came from the ‘Boosting Competitiveness of regional SMEs’ project, co-funded by the European Union under its EU4Business initiative, and implemented by the Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development National Centre of Armenia (SME DNC) and its partner organisations.

In order to develop his entrepreneurial capacities and help to boost his business, Yertitsyan took part last September in the project’s ‘Successful Start’ start-up business support programme. As a result, the entrepreneur significantly improved his business skills, gained profound knowledge and skills in management, marketing, and production planning, all of which are necessary for running a business effectively. 

Thanks to the financial support he received, Taron Yeritsyan was able to reconstruct and refurbish his premises, acquire a modern incubator and delivery car. As a result, production has been considerably expanded, the quality is ensured and one new sustainable job has been created. 

“My five years of experience assures me that we should focus only on quality products, and we do our best to satisfy the needs of our consumers,”says Yeritsyan.

To help him develop business marketing capabilities and present his products properly in the market, specialised advice was provided by the ‘Strategic Development Agency’ NGO on how to enhance product recognition in the market, packaging improvements, sales management, and more.

Yeritsyan’s company is now operating in the market under the new brand ‘Red Qatar’, which has been developed within the framework of the project. 

As a result of the consultation, Taron Yeritsyan was able to expand his range and started producing homemade eggs for the market. The eggs produced on the farm stand out by their shells, the dark colour of their yolks, and their excellent taste, all of which make the product more competitive in the market.

Boosting Competitiveness of Regional SMEs is a project funded by the EU under its EU4Business initiative. The project works to boost the competitiveness of regional SMEs and to create employment opportunities in the Armenian regions of Lori, Syunik and Armavir, focusing on the sectors of food-processing and tourism. It promotes the development of entrepreneurship by creating favourable conditions for start-ups and strengthening the capacity of local SMEs, while also providing relevant skills to job seekers, and developing local capacity to encourage the further promotion of economic development initiatives.