Armenia Hires Iranian Shepherds with $400-$500 Salaries
Armenia aims to raise one million livestock and take Iran’s place in the livestock market of Persian Gulf countries and Iraq. Iranian media have reported that Armenia is hiring Iranian shepherds with salaries ranging from $400 to $500.
In reports published by some Iranian media outlets, Armenia’s “display and maneuvers” and “takeover of Iran’s livestock market in the region” have been criticized.
For approximately three years, Iran’s livestock exports have faced restrictions due to “incorrect export policies,” and foreign markets have been unable to purchase Iranian livestock.
With Iran sidelined, regional markets, including Arab countries in the Persian Gulf region and Iraq, have fallen into the hands of Armenia and Georgia.
Mansour Pourian, head of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Livestock Supply Council, told ILNA news agency in this regard: “The transit of livestock from Armenia to Persian Gulf countries is happening through Iran, and this alerts us that these markets once belonged to us, but unfortunately we lost them due to incorrect export policies.”
Responding to the question that job advertisements have been circulating in cyberspace indicating that Armenian livestock producers are seeking to hire Iranian shepherds fluent in Arabic, Pourian stated that Armenia has prioritized producing one million livestock to capture the Iraqi market and the Persian Gulf region.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has always supported Armenia during its difficult 30-year period of independence, but the current approach of this country regarding “how to seize the livestock market in the region” that was in Iran’s hands has been criticized by Iranian economic activists.
The chairman of the National Assembly of Livestock Exporters also emphasized that Armenia is using its production capacity to capture major markets in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.
This economic activist stated that these countries have significant demand for purchasing female lambs. Iranian female lambs that have not yet given birth are highly desirable for Arabs, which is why they are hiring Iranian shepherds to bring their quality close to Iranian production.
Pourian explained the reason for shepherds’ fluency in Arabic: “Arab countries frequently travel to Armenia to purchase livestock, and because they have language problems, they prefer to conduct business with those who are fluent in their language.”
Source: DW
