Monday, April 16 2018 15:51

ArmInfo. In the structure of  GDP, the share of agriculture is 20%, of which only 0.01% is organic.  This was in an interview with ArmInfo on the margins of the 3rd  annual conference on ecotourism in Armenia, said Karine Sarkisyan,  marketing specialist of the OASI (Organic Agriculture Development  Initiative) program of the Austrian Development Agency.

By and large, the expert associates low production volumes with a  lack of public awareness about the benefits of organic production,  which certainly affects the level of consumption. This, according to  her, became known on the basis of the study.

 

Speaking of the exhibitions, Sargsyan said that Armenian producers as  a result of participation in this year managed to sign export  contracts for 200 thousand euros, as a result of which Armenian  organic products (dried fruits, teas, honey, olive oil, fruit) will  be delivered to the markets of European countries , The United Arab  Emirates, the United States, etc. In the same vein, the expert added  that almost half of the Armenian beneficiaries of OASI will take part  in the largest international exhibition of natural and organic  products - Natural & Organic Products Europe 2018 in London on April  22-23.

At the same time K. Sargsyan drew attention to the fact that today  there is a certain growth in consumption of organic products in the  domestic market. In this regard, the representative of OASI stressed  that in some retail chains the number of shelves with organic  products increased, which indicates an increase in demand for  eco-products in Armenia.

In general, the expert sees potential in the development of the  sphere in Armenia, taking into account the high quality of  production. "Armenian organic products outperform manufacturers in  European countries, given the excellent climatic conditions and the  number of sunny days," she said.

In addition, she recalled that organic agriculture is a priority for  the Ministry of Agriculture. In this regard, the expert noted that  the OASI program will be of a lengthy nature.

Earlier, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Armen Harutyunyan, responding  to the question of ArmInfo, noted that since 2020 the Ministry of  Agriculture of Armenia plans to assist agricultural producers of  organic products. He did not rule out the possibility of granting  state subsidies to businesses of those agricultural producers who  would like to switch from traditional agriculture to organic  agriculture.

Note that the first program to support organic agriculture started in  January 2015, its duration is 3 years, and the budget - 25 million  euros. The duration of the second program for supporting organic  agriculture in Armenia is 37 months, the budget is 3.3 million euros,  of which 2.8 million euros are provided by the European Union, and  0.5 million euros by the Austrian Development Agency. The goal of the  program is to support farmers and agribusiness in order to ensure  transition to organic farming, increase agricultural production,  develop new international markets, and provide bio-products to the  local market. The program consists of four components: reforming the  legal framework, providing financial assistance to farmers (grants),  providing access to markets, raising awareness about the benefits of  organic agriculture. On September 11, 2017 in Yerevan Ambassador of  the EU Delegation to Armenia Ambassador Piotr Switalsky stated about  great prospects for Armenian organic agricultural products on the  European market, as it is "quality and tasty".