The situation in Armenia's agricultural sector continues to remain tense. Industry experts assert that the crisis in the economic sector began long ago but is becoming increasingly profound day by day. Export issues, logistical difficulties, the consequences of market losses, and the government's policies have, according to their assessments, brought agriculture to a critical point, the damages of which are borne by ordinary citizens. The deepening uncertainty is becoming a serious problem, and earning a daily bread has become a catastrophic issue.
Amid these concerns, today, July 21, a protest was held in front of the Armenian government building by entrepreneurs engaged in fish farming. They stated that Armenian fish is not competitive in the European market, and under the current conditions, their businesses are at risk of closure.
In this context, agricultural expert Harutyun Mnatsakanyan notes that there are serious problems in the export sector. Issues exist not only for fish farmers but also for producers of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. According to Mnatsakanyan, long-term measures are now necessary, which must be implemented exclusively by the state.
“Very soon, due to the domino effect, the entire economy will be on the brink of collapse: people cannot pay salaries, repay loans, or solve social issues,” says former Minister of Agriculture Ashot Harutyunyan.
In a conversation with us, he insisted that the situation will become more complicated. In the autumn, when the harvesting season for grapes, fruits, and vegetables approaches, problems will accumulate, and their consequences will be felt by both farmers and consumers.
Recently, Armenian authorities have frequently announced that places are opening up for Armenian agricultural products in European markets, but the expert considers such statements exaggerated.
“Exporting a few truckloads of goods does not mean that the European market is captured. If we are talking about two, three, or five truckloads, that cannot be presented as a serious export success,” says Harutyunyan.
He emphasized that even if the EU is interested in Armenian products, it is currently impossible to organize exports at the volumes that were previously carried out in the Russian markets under today's logistical conditions.
In this context, the expert also recalls the case of Armenian apricots exported to Spain that spoiled in transit, noting that long journeys and transportation create significant risks for perishable agricultural products.
“If the journey is long and the storage regime is violated, it is natural that the product will spoil. This once again shows that without appropriate infrastructure, Europe cannot replace the markets we have worked with for many years,” noted Harutyunyan.
According to the expert's assessment, if the situation does not change, farmers will find themselves in an even more difficult position in the near future: part of the harvest will remain in the fields, will not be sold, or will simply be destroyed. At the same time, even in this case, there will be no significant decrease in prices in the domestic market, which will further exacerbate social problems.
Ashot Harutyunyan argues that the main culprits of the current situation are the Armenian authorities and their foreign policy. According to the expert, the only way out of the current situation is to conduct a clear and long-term state policy that can restore agriculture.
It should be noted that earlier, Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan announced that Armenia now has the opportunity to export fish and fish products to the European Union. “This is the first time Armenia has received such permission, which opens new opportunities for the export of Armenian fish products. All necessary permissions have been obtained from the European Union, and all necessary procedures related to the export of these goods from the Republic of Armenia have been detailed,” wrote Papoyan on his Facebook page.
It should also be noted that recently information emerged that a batch of Armenian apricots exported to Spain spoiled in transit.
