Former Deputy Minister: People in Artsakh Are in Panic Despite Claims of No Food Security Issues

If we believe the government that the wheat is stored and we will not face food security issues, we cannot say the same about animal feed, grain, and concentrated feed. There is also a serious problem with the seeds of cereals, legumes, and forage crops, said former Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ashot Harutyunyan in an interview with Aysor.am.

“The government claims that there is no predicted deficit of goods included in the minimal food basket, and with the numbers they publish, they try to pillow people's heads with soft assurances. However, the fact is that we have a widespread inflation that is not being managed or regulated,” he noted.

The expert stated that masking the problems with “cosmetic fixes” complicates the situation further and creates new issues. There is no strategic thinking or proactive policy.

“The Minister of Economy calls for land cultivation; it is interesting whether he really expects that call to be enough to motivate people. The machinery is expensive, spare parts are costly, there is a problem with fertilizers—not only are they not imported, but the imported ones are also expensive. Even with subsidies, it is not the case that this money does not come from the state reserves. Furthermore, first, there needs to be sowing before anything can be fertilized; what will they fertilize the uncultivated lands with?” said Harutyunyan.

The former deputy minister warns that year by year, the areas planted with winter wheat have decreased, and for two years, the self-sufficiency level has approached 23-24.5 percent, while with correct agricultural policies, it is possible to raise the self-sufficiency level to 80-85 percent.

“In Artsakh, they modestly say that there are no food issues, but people are in panic. We must not allow food security concerns to be added to the already existing physical security issues for the people in Artsakh,” he emphasized. The former deputy minister recalls that before the war, Artsakh not only managed to fully ensure its self-sufficiency but was also a ‘reserve’ for Armenia—a fact that was not properly appreciated.