YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Starting from September 15, the Yerevan Brandy Company (YBC) will start grapes purchases, the YBC managing director Cedric Retailleau said at the September 12 press conference. According to him, this year the company intends to purchase about 29 thousand tons of grapes against 28 thousand tons last year. The purchase price of 1 kg of grapes will be raised from 130 to 133 drams. The speaker noted that last year's system of additional payments will be used this year too. Grapes will be purchased from those farmers, with whom YBC has signed contracts and has respective obligations towards them. At the same time the YBC managing director attached special importance to the quality of grapes, noting that it will be controlled during purchases. In his words, the growth in grapes purchases is conditioned by the increase in the company's sales. In particular, 440 thousand liters of brandy was sold in the first two months of the 2007-2008 financial year (July-August), which exceeds by 11% the index of the same period of last financial year. C. Retailleau said that YBC is going to produce several new products, particularly, production of the wine "Old Yerevan" will resume in late September - early October. This wine to be made of Armenian grapes "Areni" will be produced jointly with Vedi Alco company.

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