Garagum dairy company receives EBRD, EU support to re-brand and develop product portfolio

TURKMENISTAN – Garagum dairy company, one of the main producers of butter and the only producer of cottage cheese in Turkmenistan, has received support from the European Union that enabled it to re-brand and develop its dairy company’s product range.

With the help of the Advice for Small Businesses programme, funded in Turkmenistan by the European Union, the support also led to the company’s expansion and an increase in turnover, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Garagum said.

Atamyrat Saryyev, the owner of the dairy company Garagum, proudly says he took control of the business that was becoming a failing dairy producer and turned it into a successful company, in five years.

“Our products are made with 100 percent local milk from our local cows, with minimal chemical additives, but because there was limited awareness of the high quality of our products and our competitive pricing, we had difficulty attracting new customers,” says Atamyrat. 

To help Atamyrat overcome this challenge and raise brand loyalty among his target audience, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Advice for Small Businesses programme matched Atamyrat with a consultant.

 The consultant helped him rebrand Garagum and launch new attractive packaging designs for his products, according to EBRD.

“We were aware that our products had outdated packaging, but for a long time, we didn’t want to take the decision to rebrand, as this requires quite a lot of investment. Luckily the EBRD was able to help us and placate our fears.”

Together with the consultant, the Garagum team conducted marketing research to analyze the brand’s position on the market and developed a new logo design and brand book as well as new packaging for its products.

The advisory project helped the company to understand where its products stood in the market, and how Turkmenistan dairy company could increase brand recognition and attract new consumers, Atamyrat highlighted.

The market research and rebranding enabled Garagum to introduce six new products to the local market.In addition, the company’s annual turnover subsequently increased by 2½ times while the revenue increased by more than 100 percent.

EBRD has reported that Garagum’s dairy products have gained popularity due to their affordable prices and high quality and the company managed to grow its market share and the volume of production during the coronavirus pandemic.

The company is now aiming to implement green dairy production by shifting toward zero-waste production, as it presents opportunities for small businesses to cut costs and increase revenue while also helping in saving the planet.

The support from EBRD and EU to Garagum company follows the initial support to Menprom, a family-owned meat processing company, that enabled it to install solar panels in its factory, taking it one step further onto a green path.

EBRD and the EU also funded Milk Euro Food, one of the largest producers and distributors of butter spreads, and margarine in Central Asia, this month, with an organized financial package of US$ 6.3 million to enable it to improve its environmental and social standards.

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