ArmInfo.The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is ready to assist the Armenian government in the implementation of reforms in the agricultural sector. Representative the Office of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Armenia Mr. Raimund Jehle said this during a meeting with the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Khachatryan.
"I assure you that you can rely on us as a specialized structure in the field of agriculture," he said.
According to the press service of RA Ministry of Economy, Minister Khachatryan attached importance to the FAO experience in increasing productivity and efficiency of agriculture and stressed that steps in this direction should become key strategic goals for the coming years.
The parties discussed issues relating to the equipment of agriculture, cartography, land consolidation and land use rights, at the same time affecting the availability of funds for farmers, and the possibility of attracting investment.
The interlocutors also exchanged views on possible actions to develop non-food agriculture, in particular issues related to the management of natural resources in agriculture, while at the same time attaching special importance to the environmental component.
To recall, the FAO is a specialized UN agency that leads international efforts to fight hunger. The organization's activities are aimed at ensuring food security for all and guaranteeing regular access of the population to high-quality food. FAO, with more than 194 member countries, operates in more than 130 countries around the world.
Assistance to FAO Armenia is carried out in accordance with the six priority areas of cooperation agreed with the government: capacity building and policy support for rural development and regional economic integration; assistance in animal husbandry and animal health; crop production and plant protection strategies with a focus on plant genetic resources and the production of vegetable seeds; forestry development strategies; clean technologies for the development of fisheries and aquaculture; development of national agricultural statistics.
According to the RA Statistical Committee, in 2018, the gross output of agriculture and fisheries of Armenia showed a decline of 7.3%, reaching 926.4 billion drams.