Russia's economic restrictions are simultaneously amplifying the wave of discontent among farmers. Yesterday, tomato growers took to the streets and blocked the Yerevan-Eraskh highway.
Farmers insist that companies producing canned goods are not buying tomatoes from them, responding that there is not enough demand, and now farmers with loans and debts, who should have received income for their work, are faced with the reality of what to do with such a harvest, who will compensate them?
“Who will close our loans?” one of the protesters asked.
Currently, it seems that tomato growers are among the hardest hit by the ban on Armenian agricultural products in the Russian market. The harvest is too large for local consumption alone; thousands of tons of tomatoes are exported from Armenia to Russia annually. Now, as Moscow imposes restrictions, the harvest remains in Armenia; according to farmers, factories are not purchasing, and they cannot sell even in cheaper markets as supply exceeds demand.
“I currently have 60 tons of red tomatoes in the field, 60 tons... How did they say: ‘I will pay for tomatoes, I will pay for cucumbers,’” another protester declared.
In 2025, around 100 thousand tons of tomatoes were harvested from fields and greenhouses in Armenia, with over 17 thousand tons exported, meaning nearly 80 thousand tons of the remaining harvest were consumed in Armenia, either sold in markets or processed by factories for canned goods and juices.
Large companies producing tomato paste are silent, and “Azatutyun” was unable to obtain comments from them. The office of the company “Artfood” advised to call the factory in Artashat, where a man answered that it was the guard's phone number and he could not help.
An employee of another large company, “MAP,” said during the day that they were on break, and later “Azatutyun” could not seem to connect with the relevant department, being told to “call back tomorrow.”
The issue of tomato procurement was also present last year. The government developed a support program for large processors, explaining that companies do not want to purchase much as it is not profitable for them. The government decided to provide subsidies to large companies, compensating up to 25 percent of the amount paid for each kilogram purchased.
“No tomato producer should be left at the doors of the factory,” insisted Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
This year, when the problem has become much more acute due to Russian restrictions, Armenian authorities have yet to make such a decision.
“After considerable fluctuations, it seems we are also entering a phase of sustainable development in agriculture,” the Prime Minister stated.
To mitigate the damage from Russia's economic restrictions, the government has so far mainly adopted support programs for exporters.
“Let our banks freeze, I agree, let them freeze for two or three years until we understand what comes after,” noted a participant in yesterday's protest.
Government members also acknowledge that there are issues with tomato sales, but they do not clarify what solutions they are proposing.
“Yes, indeed, only in the case of tomatoes is a price drop evident,” declared Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan.
Today, we spoke with “Sis Natural,” a company that procures in smaller volumes; the juice and canned goods producer stated that they purchase several dozen tons annually, for example, for making lecho, but they do not have tomato production.
This company also raises another issue. They now need to procure apricots, they have orders, but the price is very high - higher than last year. Apricots for making jam are being sold for 500-600 drams, whereas in previous years they purchased them at an average of 250 drams.
