Past daily of Armenia writes as follows, in particular: The assurances being sounded from the authorities’ PR “pulpits” before the [June 7 parliamentary] elections that they will stand with the farmers, that not a single kilogram of crop will be spoiled, and that Europe is waiting with open arms for Armenian products, today are gradually being ranked among the usual list of another broken promises.

The elections were held, the votes were collected, and the authorities’ elite, as always, began to slowly but surely backtrack on their own words, leaving the farmer alone with his worries and loans. The fact that the theories about European markets [agreeing to accept Armenian products sanctioned by Russia] were purely political flirtations is no longer hidden even within the authorities.

Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan recently stated in open text what independent experts have been voicing for years: the logistics are too expensive, the geographical distance is great, and it turns out the European market is absolutely not suitable for Armenian agricultural products—or vice versa.

This is not just an economic analysis, this is an official confession of its own failure and the lies it has previously told. The [Armenian] authorities, who were promising to look for alternatives to the Russian market, today are making [the Armenian farmers] confront with the fact.

Although attempts are being made in the political arena to reduce the role of the Russian market [for Armenia] at all costs, the numbers and economic reality prove the opposite. At the prices at which Armenian agricultural products can be sold in Russia, it is simply impossible in Europe.

In some cases, Armenian fruits and vegetables are forced to be sold on the European market two to three times cheaper than in the Russian Federation. As a result, due to the [Armenian] authorities’ policy, the Armenian farmer is deprived of the traditional market that ensures high income, receiving in return the unprofitable and highly demanding European direction. While the [Armenian] ministries are looking for excuses in offices, alarm bells are already ringing in the villages [of Armenia].

According to Past newspaper’s information, the first serious problems have already begun in large farms these days. The accumulated harvest is massively spoiling and becoming subject to dumping due to lack of sales. And this is just the beginning. Very soon the super-active season of apricots and other summer fruits will start [in Armenia].

If now, in the case of relatively small amounts, logistics and sales have failed, then what will happen in weeks, when tons of apricots will wait for export? How the authorities are going to get out of this maturing economic chaos, which threatens to finally bankrupt Armenian villager, is the biggest question. However, judging by their style of work, the answer is one: the villager will once again pay the price of the economic ignorance and empty promises of the authorities.