YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. An Armenian businessman is going to import crocodile eggs from Tanzania, Kenya and other African countries. Firstly, the crocodiles will live in a resort to be constructed in Dashtavan community, then a big crocodile farm will be established, Founder of ARMON Co.Ltd, Geologist Khachatur Sargsyan told reporters, reports Armenpress.

“We will import crocodile eggs. The cost of one egg is 400 USD. We will bring them from breeding farms, we are working with 3-4 different farms in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. The goal is to create a tourism place in Dashtavan village. In addition to the crocodiles, there will also be chickens, geese, ducks. The park will consist of 31 infrastructures, and the crocodile farm is one of those infrastructures. There will be infrastructures for children in the park and etc.”, he said.

Asked why they have chosen crocodiles, he said he thinks that they will be attractive for tourists. “We mainly focus on tourists. Two of every 10 tourists will visit here for relax. There is no such place in the whole region”, the company founder said.

The company has applied to Armenia’s ministry of economic development and investments with the request to import crocodiles during the previous leadership. “A land in Tavush province was offered to us, but we were not interested in it. Then we sent letters to Armavir and Ararat provinces. The governor of Ararat province immediately responded to us and we met. They offered us several territories, and we selected the one in Dashtavan community, held a discussion with the community representatives”, he said.

Khachatur Sargsyan said they have no problems with the State Revenue Committee. “The only problem is linked with the code. As this is the first such case on importing crocodiles to Armenia, the SRC doesn’t have the respective code for that. But we have already clarified with the SRC with which code we must import the crocodiles”, he said.

The program will most likely launch on March 1. It is expected to be completed within 5 years. The initiative representatives also plan to use the crocodile leather in the future, but this will require 7-10 years. Leather processing plant will be established in Gyumri. Sargsyan noted that they plan to create 300-500 jobs as a result of the program implementation.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan