The situation in the agricultural sector of Armenia continues to be tense. The experts of the field claim that the crisis in the economic sphere started a long time ago, but day by day it is getting more profound. According to them, export problems, logistical difficulties, the consequences of the loss of markets and the policies of the state have brought agriculture to a critical point, the losses of which are borne by ordinary citizens. The day-by-day deepening uncertainty is becoming a serious problem, and earning daily bread is a dire problem.
Let's note that, against the background of these concerns, today, July 21, the businessmen engaged in fish farming held a protest in front of the RA Government building. They stated that Armenian fish is not competitive in the European market, and under the existing conditions, the economies are facing the danger of being closed.
In the context of all this, Harutyun Mnatsakanyan, an expert in the field of agriculture, notices that there are serious problems in the export sector. Not only the fish farmers have problems, but also the farmers engaged in the production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. According to Mnatsakanyan, long-term works are needed now, which should be carried out exclusively by the state.
"Very soon, with a domino effect, the entire economy will be on the verge of collapse. people are not able to pay salaries, repay loans, solve social problems", - this is the opinion of the former Minister of Agriculture Ashot Harutyunyan.
In the conversation with us, he insisted that the situation will become more complicated. In the fall, when the grape, fruit and vegetable procurement season approaches, the problems will accumulate, and both the peasants and the consumers will feel their consequences.
Recently, the RA authorities often announce that places are opening up for Armenian agricultural products in the European markets, but the expert considers such statements exaggerated.
"Exporting several truckloads of goods does not mean that the European market is occupied. If we are talking about two, three or five trucks, it cannot be presented as a serious export success," says Harutyunyan.
He emphasized that even if the EU is interested in Armenian products, in today's logistical conditions, it is not possible to organize exports in the volumes that were previously carried out in the case of Russian markets.
In the context of all this, the expert also recalls the case of Armenian apricots exported to Spain and spoiled on the way, noting that long journeys and transportation for perishable agricultural products create great risks.
"If the journey is long, the storage regime is violated, it is natural that the product will be damaged. This once again shows that without appropriate infrastructure, Europe cannot replace the markets with which we have been working for years," said Harutyunyan.
According to the expert's assessment, if the situation does not change, the villagers will find themselves in a more difficult situation in the near future. part of the harvest will remain in the fields, will not be realized or will simply be destroyed. At the same time, even in that case, there will be no significant reduction of prices in the domestic market, which will further deepen social problems.
According to Ashot Harutyunyan, the main culprits of the situation are the RA authorities and their foreign policy.
According to the expert, there is only one way out of the existing situation: to conduct a clear and long-term state policy that will be able to restore agriculture.
Let's remind that Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan announced earlier that Armenia has the opportunity to export fish and fish products to the European Union.
"This is the first time that Armenia receives such a permit, which opens up new opportunities for the export of Armenian fish products.
All the necessary permits have been received by the European Union, as well as all the necessary procedures related to the export of these products have been accepted in the Republic of Armenia, which are presented in detail," Papoyan wrote on his Facebook page.
Also, let's remind: the other day, information was spread that the batch of apricots exported from Armenia to Spain spoiled on the way. According to Armat Media, the damage suffered is quite large. Armenian apricots that have arrived in Europe are not suitable for sale.
Sylvie Muradyan
