ArmInfo. In 2018, Armenia increased wheat imports by 5.8% to 325.8 thousand tons, with a decline in value terms by 2% to $ 62.8 million. The main importer of wheat was the Russian Federation (96.9%), while the remaining the volume falls on Georgia (3%) and Belarus (0.1%).
Exports of wheat decreased by 66.2% to 10.2 tons, with a decrease in the customs value by 72.4% to $ 5.4 thousand. Predominantly, wheat exports Armenia accounted for the USA (68.6%), France (17.7%), the Russian Federation (10.8%) and Belgium (2.9%).
According to customs data, the import of wheat flour to Armenia increased by 2.5 fold - up to 48.5 thousand tons. In value terms, imported wheat flour showed an increase of 38.9% - to $ 6.3 million. Predominantly importers of wheat flour to Armenia were the Russian Federation (99.4%), Kazakhstan (0.4%), Italy, Poland, Belarus, France, Lebanon, Germany, India. At the same time, the volume of wheat flour exported from Armenia amounted to 42.8 tons, with an annual decline of 45.1%, in value terms, exports decreased by 45.9% to $ 15.8 thousand. 97.6% of exports fell to the Iraqi market and 2.3% - USA.
A negative trend is observed in the line of all grains. Grain imports decreased by 2.3% - to 4.9 thousand tons, with a decrease in customs value by 27.4% to $ 2.2 million. The lion's share of grain imports fell on the Russian Federation (94%), the remaining volume was distributed between Argentina (4.8%), USA (1.1%), Finland (0.1%), Belarus, China, France, Germany. Grain from Armenia was exported in the amount of 104.5 tons, with a decline in quantitative terms by 23.9%, and in value terms - by 41.7% to $ 68.7 thousand. The main export markets were the Russian Federation (49.5%), Syrian Arab Republic (28.7%), USA (16%) and France (5.7%). Ito note,the Alex-Grig company, which belongs to the family of the Armenian oligarch, member of the parliament Samvel Aleksanyan, which accounts for over 42% of the market, still dominates the market for wheat and flour. A major player is also the company "Manana Grain" - over 36%. Thus, "Alex-Grig" and "Manana Grain" provide about 80% of the domestic market of Armenia. "Manana Grain" LLC is also one of the largest importers of grain to Armenia (over 34% of the market).