Livestock Numbers Reduced by 10-15%, Agriculture Sector Also Experiences Decline: Expert

In Armenia, livestock numbers have decreased by 10-15%, while the agriculture sector has recorded a 7% decline. Hrach Berberyan, the president of the Agrarian and Rural Union NGO, stated this in an interview with NEWS.am.

He noted that the price of hay has doubled, now costing between 2500-3000 drams (approximately up to $6).

The expert explained that the situation has been negatively affected by the 44-day war, as many pastures have come under the control of the adversary. “Regarding the price, the government has tools and can stabilize the market situation, for example, by influencing the superprofits (around 400-500%) enjoyed by processing enterprises. The government should develop and implement appropriate norms,” Berberyan said.

He added that the agriculture sector has seen a 7% decline. “This is the result of the closure of the Ministry of Agriculture, despite the fact that the sector accounts for 10% of GDP (down from 40% during Soviet times). Instead of subsidizing farmers, we are subsidizing banks, which further enriches them,” the expert concluded.