Gross production in Armenia's agricultural, forestry, and fish farming sectors decreased by 10.2% in the first half of the year to AMD 345.1 billion
YEREVAN, August 12. /ARKA/. The volume of agricultural, forestry, and fish farming output in Armenia in the first half of 2026, at current prices, amounted to AMD 345,067.9 million, a decrease of 10.2% compared to the same period in 2025. This was reported by the Statistical Committee.
Thus, agricultural output during the reporting period decreased by 11.9% to AMD 310 billion. Livestock production totaled 185.3 billion drams, a 2.5% decline compared to January-June last year, while crop production totaled 124.7 billion drams, a 23.4% decline.
During the first half of this year, 39.2 thousand tons of livestock and poultry meat for slaughterhouses (live weight) were sold, a 1.7% decline. 317.6 thousand tons of milk (a 3.2% decline) and 429 million eggs (a 4.1% decline) were also produced.
During the reporting period, 800 tons of grains and legumes were grown (a 70.4% decline), 38.4 thousand tons of potatoes (a 3.3% decline), 94.6 thousand tons of vegetables (a 7.6% decline), 1.6 thousand tons of melons (a 74.64% increase), 28.5 thousand tons of fruits and berries (a 68.3% decline), and 119 million flowers (a 7.9% increase).
Forestry production for the first six months amounted to 2.1 billion drams (a 34.9% increase), while fisheries production amounted to 32.9 billion drams (a 2.7% increase). A decline in crop production was the main factor driving the decline in agricultural production.
The first half of the year shows that the 10.2% decline in total agricultural production in Armenia was primarily due to the situation in agriculture, particularly the sharp decline in crop production, which created the main downward pressure on the sector's performance, unable to be offset by growth in forestry and fisheries.
The most significant decline was recorded for certain types of crop production. Fruit and berry harvests decreased by 68.3%, grains and legumes by 70.4%, vegetables by 7.6%, and potatoes by 3.3%. Such a significant decline in fruit and grain production may be due to both unfavorable agrometeorological conditions and their impact on yields, as well as seasonal factors: data for the first half of the year only covers the initial harvesting stage for some agricultural crops, so intermediate trends will not necessarily reflect the full year. At the same time, the scale of the decline in certain items points to increased risks for crop production results for the season.
In livestock production, the situation appears more stable, but declines are observed across virtually all key indicators. Livestock and poultry sales for slaughter fell by 1.7%, milk production by 3.2%, and egg production by 4.1%.
Taken together, this indicates a moderate weakening of production activity in this segment, rather than a sharp decline. If this trend continues, the reduction in domestic supply of certain agricultural products could increase the market's dependence on imports and become an additional pressure on food prices.
At the same time, the overall trend pattern shows that the decline is primarily agricultural, rather than industry-wide. Therefore, the key factor for the overall agricultural sector's performance in the second half of the year will be the situation in crop production—primarily the volume of the main seasonal harvest and the extent to which it can compensate for the weak performance of the first half. ($1 - 366.07 drams).-0-
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