ArmInfo. The Armenian Ministry of Agriculture intends to continue expanding and deepening cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Minister of Agriculture Artur Khachatryan stated this during the meeting with FAO representatives, giving importance to the assistance provided by the FAO in implementing programs in the agricultural sector of Armenia.
According to the press service of the department, the parties met to discuss prospects for cooperation. The meeting participants considered the possibilities of increasing the effectiveness of programs, further areas of cooperation, and also discussed a number of other issues of mutual interest.
"Given that in some areas the lion's share of production - about 90-95% falls on small farms, it is logical that there is a need to involve them in politics. In addition, small farms should be included in cooperatives, which are of great importance both from the point of view of protection of interests, and with regard to the application of a unified approach to the pricing of agricultural products," Khachatryan noted.
In turn, the assistant to the FAO representative in Armenia Gayane Nasoyan presented the program proposals for 2016-2020. Particular attention was paid to programs aimed at preserving the genetic resources of grapes, increasing the resistance of grapes to the phylloxera, effective water use in the field of fish farming, processing and supply of dairy products,
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Armen Harutyunyan, FAO experts and other officials of the department took part in the discussions.
According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the volume of agricultural production in 2017 showed a decline of 3% to 907 billion AMD.
