Premier: agriculture makes 30 percent of Armenian GDP

YEREVAN, September 30. /ARKA/. On Tuesday, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, speaking at Armagroforum-Fruitful Armenia international conference, said agriculture makes 30 percent of Armenian GDP.

He said that Armenia was one of the first former soviet republics to launch comprehensive agricultural reforms.

The premier said that the first land privatization program was worked out in 1991.

As a result, thousands of farms have emerged. Now, developing agriculture puts forward new objectives.

“The future role of agriculture in the national economy depends on how we assume long-term prospects of its development”, Sargsyan said.
He said that the agriculture sector faces grave problems.

The prime minister said that thousands of farms spread all over the country. Many of them are located in mountainous terrain. They have problems with irrigation and infrastructures.

Tigran Sargsyan thinks that greater attention should be paid to infrastructures, but this needs investments.

He also said that higher productivity is needed amid growing prices for agricultural products.

“If we build up productivity, it will become possible to consider way for merging small farms and thinking over the future for rural areas”, he said.

The premier also pointed out the necessity to cooperate with other countries and use their experience.

He said that domestic agriculture is heavily impacted by developments on world markets.

Sargsyan said that expects experts are expected to voice their views on the issues raised by the Government at this conference.

Armenia has 330 farms, and 46% of the country’s population works in agriculture sector.

The conference was launched on Tuesday and is to be wrapped up on Thursday.

Experts from France, Argentina, Italy, Morocco, Columbia and other countries attend the conference. M.V.-0---