YEREVAN. – The Prime Minister of Armenia, Hovik Abrahamyan, at Wednesday’s Cabinet session, spoke against the proposal to auction off the 28 tractors that were leased to the country’s farmers through a Japanese grant.

Agriculture Minister Sergo Karapetyan noted that, fifteen years ago, tractors were delivered to Armenia’s rural communities and with a ten-year lease, but now these tractors shall be sold at an auction.

In the minister’s words, the farmers were offered to buy these tractors by paying 400,000 drams (approx. US$842) for each, and if not, they shall be sold.

“It would be right to donate these tractors to the farmers and close the topic. They used them for fifteen years and now they will be sold? What does that mean?” asked the PM. “Discuss this matter with all the agencies concerned, and we will make a decision.”