This year, because of the global financial crisis, the RA Government plans to allocate 550m AMD for the agricultural sector’s development against last year’s 1.6bn AMD, Khachik Harutyunyan, Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment, RA Parliament, stated at a press conference on April 9.

He pointed out that the funds will mainly be directed to the highland households. In this context, Harutyunyan stated that the Government is doing its best to bring its share in the agricultural sector up to 5% by means of investments in and government assistance to the sector. “Government investments in the agricultural sector constitute 30% in the United States, and up to 50% in some European states. We are elaborating a food security concept to bring the Government’s share in the agricultural sector up to 5%,” Harutyunyan said.

As regards irrigation subsidies, he pointed out that the Government allocates around 5m AMD annually for this purpose. “Despite the crisis, the amount has not been changed his year,” he said. Harutyunyan stressed that the Government will not launch fertilizer subsidy programs this year. Farmers often cannot afford fertilizers at market prices, but the Government is unable to subsidize this year, he said. Harutyunyan pointed out that the Vanadzor-based Khimprom enterprise should be re-operated to produce high-quality fertilizers as an alternative to the low-quality fertilizers imported from Georgia.

T.P.