Local Production Ignored, Says Former Deputy Minister

The former Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Garnik Poghosyan, discussed the rising prices of potato and cereal seed in an interview with Sputnik Armenia. The unprecedented situation in the markets for fuel, seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers has presented serious challenges for farmers and those engaged in agriculture.

Poghosyan explained, “The low and sometimes poor quality yields of potatoes and cereals due to drought cannot fail to impact the price increase of locally produced seeds. The price of 1 liter of diesel has reached 500 drams, a cost we have never seen before. Suppliers are offering prices for nitrogen fertilizers that are double or even triple what they used to be. Last year, we experienced a price hike for pesticides, and that trend is continuing now.”

He criticizes the government's measures aimed at regulating the sector as half-hearted, stating that while they are trying to take action, systemic and decisive solutions are necessary to rectify the situation. “I have no optimistic grounds to think. Solutions must be found in various directions; otherwise, we will find ourselves in a dire situation. Our cultivated areas are continually decreasing, and arable lands remain uncultivated,” emphasized Poghosyan.

According to him, the solution lies in organizing local seed production, for which Armenia has all the necessary capabilities. The former deputy minister recalled that years ago, when the Ministry of Agriculture was still operational, a program was developed for the cultivation of cereal and forage crops to advance local seed production, which was successfully implemented.