Greenhouse Owners Express Discontent: Pesticide and Fertilizer Prices Rise

Greenhouse owners in Armenia are expressing their dissatisfaction. The rise in the exchange rate of the dollar has led to an increase in the prices of pesticides and fertilizers. Furthermore, since July 19 of last year, the price of gas for greenhouse operators has also gone up. For instance, during the heating season from November 1 to March 1, operators pay $224 per 1000 cubic meters, instead of the previous $212.

One greenhouse owner, Hrachik Babakhanian, remarked in an interview with the 'Zhoghovurd' newspaper that the gas price is significantly high, comprising a substantial portion of the product's production cost. He stated, 'Currently, there is Turkish-origin tomato in the local market. You can monitor the wholesale markets yourself, and you will see that it is much cheaper than local products.'

It should be noted that a six-month ban on Turkish products in Armenia came into effect on January 1. Recently, Armenia's Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan announced in parliament that he intends to propose the extension of this ban. It seems that local greenhouse owners may benefit from this situation; however, according to experts, Iranian-origin vegetables are also cheap, with tomatoes reaching maturity by May. This means that an importer of tomatoes from Turkey could source them from Iran instead. As a result, local farmers may again suffer losses.