Minister says agricultural decline poses no threat to food security
11.10.2017,
15:04
Armenian Minister of Agriculture Ignaty Arakelyan downplayed today fears that the reported decline in the agricultural sector poses a threat to food security.
YEREVAN, October 11. /ARKA/. Armenian Minister of Agriculture Ignaty Arakelyan downplayed today fears that the reported decline in the agricultural sector poses a threat to food security. Speaking at a news conference, he said the ministry would take appropriate steps if such a threat appeared.
"I do not want to go deep into what caused the decline, because agriculture is a system that includes crop production, livestock, exports, purchases, processing. We will sum up the results at the end of the year, ‘ he said.
According to the minister, there are a number of problems in the sector that could affect the overall situation, but everything will be clear by the end of the year. He said the major problems are irrigation, pricing, low productivity and sale of produces, as well as snaps of cold and other factors that affect statistics. Arakelyan noted that the government is not going to sit back or waste time on populism.
"We have initiated a number of programs in the field of agriculture, which will significantly improve the situation within the next 2-3 years," Arakelyan said, stressing that he meant subsidized loans, leasing and other projects.
According to the National Statistical Service, in the first 8 months of 2017 the gross agriculture output and fisheries fell by 9 percent year-on-year to 476.4 billion drams. ($ 1 - 479.46 drams). -0-
"I do not want to go deep into what caused the decline, because agriculture is a system that includes crop production, livestock, exports, purchases, processing. We will sum up the results at the end of the year, ‘ he said.
According to the minister, there are a number of problems in the sector that could affect the overall situation, but everything will be clear by the end of the year. He said the major problems are irrigation, pricing, low productivity and sale of produces, as well as snaps of cold and other factors that affect statistics. Arakelyan noted that the government is not going to sit back or waste time on populism.
"We have initiated a number of programs in the field of agriculture, which will significantly improve the situation within the next 2-3 years," Arakelyan said, stressing that he meant subsidized loans, leasing and other projects.
According to the National Statistical Service, in the first 8 months of 2017 the gross agriculture output and fisheries fell by 9 percent year-on-year to 476.4 billion drams. ($ 1 - 479.46 drams). -0-
