FRUITENIA emphasizes the role of women in Agriculture
The FRUITENIA project highlights the role of women in Agriculture as entrepreneurs and farmers. Therefore, we are looking for the most inspiring stories in the Armenian agribusiness landscape and sharing them with others.
Many people think that there are many obstacles to starting entrepreneurship in the field of agriculture because the probability of failure is very high.
With her own experience, the founder of ‘’Salad is’’ Naira Sardaryan shows that in the field of agriculture many resources can be used in other ways. By developing theoretical and practical knowledge it is possible to get a product that will find its place in the market enjoying the trust of consumers.
During our interview with Naira Sardaryan, she talked about her experience and challenges as a woman entrepreneur in the field of agriculture.
1 ․ Please introduce yourself and tell us how you started your business.
“My name is Naira; I am from Arshaluys village of the Armavir region. Arshaluys stands out with its high activity in the field of agriculture. “Salad Is’’ was founded to solve the problem of alternative sales in the market, as well as to support farmers who find it difficult to sell their agricultural products. The basic concept is that we buy agricultural products from farmers, then we process and sell them, developing the alternative food market in Yerevan.
By using “Salad Is”, people can tackle the challenges of not finding enough time for cooking or being satisfied with the range of healthy food offered in the market.
2 ․ Is your initiative directly related to your profession?
It has nothing to do with linguistics and conflictology, of course, but it is connected with the priorities and values which I have in life.
3․Why have you decided to start a business in the field of agriculture?
I live in a village, I have been involved in various agricultural activities since my childhood, and I know what kind of difficulties people face when living in a village. People invest all their energy and time in agricultural work and most of the time they don’t get satisfactory results and they face many problems related to the consumption of agricultural products. It is a priority for me to carry out activities where it is most needed, in my experience, that field was agriculture.
4. What is your source of inspiration in your business?
My source of inspiration is that this business ultimately helps to loosen the daily burdens of people’s lives, especially for women. In addition, many women get to work in the production facility located in my village, which helps them to take a break from their daily routine, even for a few hours, and gain some financial independence
5․ Where do you get the raw materials for your products?
The whole concept is to buy the raw materials from locals to help them to consume their food. One of our goals is to equip farmers with the necessary knowledge so that they can get better results from their work and sometimes give them some hints on what to produce in order to sell them without any external difficulties.
6․ What characteristics should a person have to be engaged in agricultural entrepreneurship?
I think you need to be persistent and love the field where the given business activity is carried out.