YEREVAN. – Armenia exports around $400-million, whereas imports $800-million food per year.

Director of the “Consumer Consulting Center” NGO, Karen Chilingaryan, stated the aforementioned at a press conference on Friday.

He noted that the country is not self-sufficient with respect to food products, and this is worrisome in terms of food safety.

“The main supplies are imported from Russia and the [other] CIS countries, [and] which are brought via Georgia, with [the] Lars[i] [Highway],” Chilingaryan said. “And problem often occurs with this road, which means there is a danger. The road is often closed in the winter, spring and summer, and the vehicles loaded with food remain on the road for days.”

In the NGO official’s words, Armenia primarily imports cattle, pork and poultry meat, and vegetable oil.

“Armenia is 100-percent self-sufficient with the potato harvest,” added Karen Chilingaryan. “But the wheat production satisfies the domestic market by 80 percent.”