KHUJAND February 22, 2011, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan’s oldest winery, Sharobi Uroteppa, which is located in the northern city of Istaravshan, has given up production of wines this year due to bad grape harvests in 2010, the winery director Orif Okhounov said.
According to him, the enterprise produced only 50 decaliters of various wines for 2,200 somoni in January 2010.
“We produced only 50 decaliters of wines last year because of acute electricity shortages,” said Okhounov, “Last month, we produced only vodka due to bad grape harvests last year.”
In January 2011, Sharobi Uroteppa produced 500 decaliters of vodka for 17,000 somoni, while the enterprise’s production capacities allow producing vodka ten times more, he added. 45 people now work for Sharobi Uroteppa, which is actively seeking outlets outside the country. “We hope to conclude a contract with partners in Kyrgyzstan, who want to purchase wine distillate from us. We have old stock,” the winery director said.
He reminded that the enterprise was established by Russian company, Pervushin & Sons, in 1895 already. On the same year, the company launched two other wineries in Tashkent and Samarqand.
At present local entrepreneur assumes the 100% ownership interest in Sharobi Uroteppa.
