Fish farming becomes unprofitable in Armenia, association head
15.04.2014,
18:43
Artur Atoyan, the head of the Association of Armenian Fish Farms, argued today that the price of locally grown fish would jump further if the government did not convince the Customs Union to allow Armenia to levy the current customs duty on imported fish feed.
YEREVAN, April 15. / ARKA /. Artur Atoyan, the head of the Association of Armenian Fish Farms, argued today that the price of locally grown fish would jump further if the government did not convince the Customs Union to allow Armenia to levy the current customs duty on imported fish feed.
Earlier the acting economy minister Vahram Avanesyan said that the list of goods which Armenia submitted to the Customs Union executive body, the Eurasian Economic Commission, to ask its permission to levy the current customs duties, includes 900 types of imported goods from third countries.
According to Atoyan, Armenian fish farms import now feed from European countries and Chile, where it is cheaper than the Russian-produced feed.
"Fish farming in our country becomes unprofitable, especially for small and medium businesses," he claimed, explaining that the price of water has also increased from 0.05 drams per cubic meter to 0.5 drams.
Another factor that would affect this sector is the mandatory requirement that fish farms shift to semi-closed water recycling systems which is too expensive.
According to the ministry of agriculture, fish production in 2013 grew by 2,800 tons to 11,600 tons. -0-
