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Box 300, 1400 Vienna, Austria Tel: (+43-1) 26026-0 · www.unido.org · [email protected] High Value Cheese Market Study Report 3R STRATEGY LLC Business & Investment Consulting 1 | P a g e D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 8 PROGRAM BACKGROUND 9 Aim and Approach of the Project 9 Assignment Purpose and Objectives 10 METHODOLOGY 11 Data collection sources 11 Data collection methods 13 Data collection instruments 13 Data processing and analyses 14 DEFINITION OF HIGH VALUE CHEESE 14 Origin of cheese 14 Main types of high value cheese 15 CHEESE VALUE CHAIN DIAGNOSTIC 20 Value chain actors 21 Input and service suppliers: 21 Farmers: 21 Milk collection points: 21 HV cheese producers: 22 HV cheese importers: 22 Retail and wholesale network: 22 Consumers: 22 Milk production 23 Milk suppliers: 28 Processors 29 High value cheese local producers 29 PRODUCT 32 Types and quality of high value cheese produced in Armenia: 32 Testing - Gouda 33 Testing- Mozzarella 34 2 | P a g e Testing- Dutch/Holland 34 Production volumes: 35 Supply of milk 37 Capacities 40 Technology 42 Pasteurization 42 Starter cultures 43 Other additions before making the curd 43 Rennet 44 Cutting the coagulum 44 Pre-stirring 44 Pre-drainage of whey 44 Heating/cooking/scalding 44 Final stirring 45 Final removal of whey and principles of curd handling 45 Final treatment of curd 45 Pressing 45 Salting 45 Salt content in different types of cheese, % salt 46 Ripening and storage of cheese 46 Technological gaps of local producers: 46 Human resources 47 Food safety standards 47 PACKAGING AND LABELING 48 COSTS AND MARGINS 50 PRICES 52 MARKETING AND SALES 53 Exports and major constraints 56 WHOLESALE 57 RETAIL TRADE 61 HIGH VALUE CHEESE MARKET STUDY 63 Overview of Armenian High Value Cheese Market 63 Packaging and shelf life: 64 Best-selling types of high value cheese and selected dairy products: 64 3 | P a g e Prices 66 Gross margins/overhead added by VC actors (locally produced HV cheeses)) 67 Gross margins added by VC actors (imported HV cheeses) 68 Standards 69 Sales volumes 69 Estimated volumes of sales of locally produced and imported high value cheese 69 CONSUMER ANALYSIS 73 Consumer types 73 The final consumers: individuals, households. 73 Types of high value cheese preferred by individual consumers 75 Consumer preferences towards locally produced and imported cheeses: 77 Purchase volumes, frequency and place of purchase: 78 Main factors affecting consumers’ choice and purpose of usage: 80 HORECA institutions 82 Pastry Workshops: 86 EXPORT MARKET ANALYSIS 86 Overview of global dairy market 86 Georgian cheese market 88 Russian cheese market 91 Exporting and tax regulation in Cheese market 95 Cheese exporting procedures, bureaucracy, logistics, certification 96 MARKETING PLAN 97 Target markets and sales volumes 97 Recommendations for producers groups 98 Product Policy 99 Local (Armenian) Market 99 Russian Market 100 Georgian Market 100 Price Policy 100 Place/Distribution 101 Local Market 101 Export Market 101 4 | P a g e Promotional activities 102 For local market 103 For export markets 103 REFERENCES 104 ANNEX 1: LIST OF RESPONDENTS 105 5 | P a g e Tables Table 1 Sample and geography of HV cheese market study ............................................................................................. 12 Table 2 List of Survey tools ............................................................................................................................................... 13 Table 3 Organoleptic characteristics of raw milk .............................................................................................................. 23 Table 4 Physicochemical characteristics of raw milk ........................................................................................................ 24 Table 5 Processors‘ perception on milk quality in Armenia.............................................................................................. 25 Table 6 High value cheese producers ................................................................................................................................ 29 Table 7 Classification of HV cheese producers by number of employees ........................................................................ 31 Table 8 Main types of HV cheeses produced in Armenia ................................................................................................. 32 Table 9 Total production volume of HV cheese ................................................................................................................ 35 Table 10 HV cheese producers‘ opinion on types of HV cheeses which could be produced in Armenia ......................... 36 Table 11 Examples of failures while piloting production of HV cheeses ........................................................................ 37 Table 12 Source of milk milk supply ................................................................................................................................ 38 Table 13 Milk collection methods for HV cheese production ........................................................................................... 39 Table 14 Direct and indirect costs associated with HV cheese production ....................................................................... 51 Table 15 Net profit Margins .............................................................................................................................................. 51 Table 16 Local producers‘ pricelist for HV cheeses .......................................................................................................... 52 Table 17 Share of locally produced HV cheeses sold in Yerevan market, % in total sales ............................................... 55 Table 18 Main exporters and destinations of Armenian HV cheese ................................................................................. 56 Table 19 Pricelist of exported HV cheeses ........................................................................................................................ 57 Table 20 Cheese imports by types, 2014 ........................................................................................................................... 59 Table 21 The prices of imported cheeses, in 2014 ............................................................................................................ 60 Table 22 Major types of locally produced HV cheeses available in retail chain ............................................................... 63 Table 23 Major types of imported HV cheese types available in retail outlets ................................................................. 63 Table 24 Best-selling imported and local HV cheese types .............................................................................................. 65 Table 25 Best-selling types: yogurt .................................................................................................................................. 65 Table 26 Best-selling types: drinking yogurt ..................................................................................................................... 65 Table 27 Best-selling types of butter ................................................................................................................................ 66 Table 28 Retail prices for local and imported HV cheeses .............................................................................................. 67 Table 29 Prices of local and imported HV cheese ............................................................................................................. 67 Table 30 High value cheese market size in Armenia,2014 ................................................................................................ 69 Table 31 Summary for Armenian dairy and cheese market sizes, ton, 2014 ..................................................................... 70 Table 32 Dairy products (sour cream, curd, cottage etc.), Yogurt, Butter