YEREVAN. - Duty-free Turkish tomatoes continue to be imported to Armenia, Chairman of the Association of Greenhouse Facilities of Armenia, Poghos Gevorgyan, told Armenian News – NEWS.am.

After the meeting with Armenian Agriculture Minister in early December 2016, the greenhouse facility owners made sure that there is no longer a “black”import of Turkish cucumbers and tomatoes. But looking around, they saw that almost nothing had changed: the same Turkish “harvest festival” was going on in the wholesale markets of the capital and provinces.

“If they undergo proper customs clearance, there will be no threat to the local market. They are bought on the ground for AMD 250 per kilogram. But they have to be imported via Georgia. Therefore, the transportation costs almost the same. Add to this the customs clearance and VAT, and then the income of transporters and sellers. This should make not less than AMD 1,000 per kilogram, whereas they are sold for AMD 500 in the markets,” Gevorgyan stressed.

“In any case this has to be simply banned. And let those who think that this is not in line with the rules try to import a pail of tomatoes from Armenia to Turkey. They will be sent home right on the border. What about this? Is it in line with rules? We not only do not interfere, but it turns out also help Turkey, which considers us an unfriendly state, to sell its product. I will reiterate: not only do they allow to import, but they don’t levy duties either,” Gevorgyan said.

Consequently, the local greenhouses sell their tomatoes for AMD 400-500—lower than their self-value—in order to “push forward” their product. With pain and misery, only large industrial facilities can endure this, while small single facilities suffer most of all, the Chairman added.

In the near future, Agriculture Minister Ignati Araqelyan, and perhaps the premier, will receive the representatives of the Association of Greenhouse Facilities of Armenia and Trade Union of agro-industrial sector workers.