VIDEO: Farmer's Produce Spoiling as Martuni Residents Block Road

According to reports from "Pastinfo," residents of Martuni in the Gegharkunik region have blocked the Martuni-Vardenis road. The residents are demanding a solution to the issues regarding the sale of potatoes and cabbage.

They note that tons of agricultural products have not been sold and are now at risk of spoiling. Hakob Baroyan, a member of the Martuni council’s "Alashkert" faction, told "Pastinfo" that people are in uncertainty: on one hand, they are unable to sell their existing produce, while on the other hand, it is time to start agricultural work, and they do not know whether to proceed or not.

Baroyan highlighted that the main reason for the situation is that the government does not limit the volumes of imported potatoes and cabbage. “Today, some entrepreneurs are making business, while the farmer is left at the broken trough as usual. In the village of Zolakar alone, there are 700-800 tons of potatoes and more than 1000 tons of cabbage. This is just in Zolakar, but neighboring settlements also face significant issues,” he stated.

He added that one kilogram of imported potatoes is normalized at 50 drams, whereas prices in our stores are set in a way that is also incomprehensible to us. “The farmer is ready to sell at a very low price, but there is simply no consumption or demand. Meanwhile, the importation of potatoes at 50 drams is inexplicable; how can the farmer sell them at a price that at least covers the cost? Currently, the lowest cost for the farmer is 120-130 drams, and moreover, this year the yield was not high, but rather below standard,” he remarked.

The council member insisted that the government should prepare a program in advance and limit import volumes so that farmers can sell their products. “In the past, such volumes of imports did not exist. Moreover, in previous years, there was also a certain amount of exports, but this year only 1-2 people tried to export, which was not beneficial for them, and the products remained unsold,” he explained.

According to him, it is impossible to consume the existing volumes in Armenia. They expect the government to either limit the imported volumes or help with exports, which have created a deficit in the market.

It is worth noting that after negotiations with the community leader, the residents opened the road. As a result of these negotiations, they agreed to try to solve the issue within five days.