PM: Armenian government to prioritize agricultural development for next 5 years

YEREVAN, February 22. /ARKA/. The Armenian government considers developing agriculture and rural communities as one of its priorities for the next five years, Tigran Sargsyan, the prime minister of Armenia, said Wednesday in Hoktemberyan (Armavir regfion) at the meeting with the ruling Republican party’s activists and the region’s intellectuals.

“The government prioritizes not only the development of agriculture in the country for the next five years , but also the improvement of life conditions in Armenian villages,” the prime minister said. As a result, the Armenian villages will be provided with the infrastructure and service systems that will create the conditions there which exist in Yerevan. 

The reforms aimed at agricultural development will be stepped up first of all with advancing seed production, innovating agricultural machinery and fertilizer production, Sargsyan pointed out.

“For the first time in ten years Armenia imports elite seeds from Russia for the last two years…Moreover, the first seeds produced in Armenia are already available for the Armenian households. We aim for producing 30,000 tons of seeds to provide the whole agriculture of our country with home-made seeds,” Sargsyan said.The prime minister also highlighted innovating agricultural machinery as another target, as today 90% of the machinery is outdated. He said Armenia had reached an agreement with Russia on importing combine-harvesters, and Belarus on importing tractors.

“Taking into account the high prices on the agricultural machinery, the government models a program to set up leasing companies that will finance the Armenian farmer’s purchases,” Sargsyan said.He also added that Armenia in cooperation with the World Bank develops a program on subsidizing 50% of the funds for purchasing agricultural machinery in 55 most socially vulnerable communities of the country. The rest of the sum is expected to be offered by rural communities or cooperatives. Sargsyan highlighted that the government has some programs directed to fertilizer production development and its import subsidizing, as well as animal husbandry development in the country.—0--