Agriculture Minister: Investments in Armenian agriculture reached $50mln in 2017

ArmInfo. The Ministry of Agriculture of Armenia carried out the diagnostics of the sphere and identified a number of problems, in the solution of which it will be possible to increase the commercial yield of the country's agriculture. "There is a huge potential for agricultural growth in Armenia, but only if the identified gaps are resolved, we will be able to achieve the industrialization of the agrosphere," Ignatiy Arakelyan, the head of the department, said at a press conference on October 11, speaking of the results of the agency's activities for 2016-2017.  According to him, following the results of the studies, the Ministry revealed the following tasks: low level of technical equipment, problems related to the availability of financial means and inadequate irrigation system, insecurity of villagers from weather and climate conditions and lack of an adequate damage compensation system, with pricing of sold products and payment farmers for the crop, an incorrect system for assessing agricultural land. It is also problematic that agriculture in Armenia is developed only by traditional agronomic administrations. Meanwhile, today in the world trend, high-cultural agriculture and planting intensive gardens, which provides a higher level of profitability. A number of tasks, the minister noted, is related to the lack of literacy, or rather the lack of appropriate education in the country, a weak consulting system and an inadequate legislative framework.

Nevertheless, according to Arakelyan, Armenia is capable of overcoming the solution of these problems.  "We must reach such a level that the villager engaged in agriculture not to solve his urgent problems, but developed and formed a more literate, development economy," the minister said.

According to Ignatiy Arakelyan, $50 million has already been spent on the $ 120 million investment promised by the government for this year. According to him, these investments are aimed at creating intensive gardens, greenhouses, cheese production, and also in the development of processing companies and veterinary farms.  To note, according to the preliminary data of state statistics, in August the volume of gross agricultural production of Armenia decreased year on year by exactly 25%.