Martuni Residents Plan Another Protest Today Over Spoiling Agricultural Products

According to the Hraparak newspaper, residents of Martuni will hold another protest today due to spoiling agricultural products, including cabbage and potatoes, which are devaluing and degrading daily because of imported goods.

Nver, a resident of the Zolakhar village in the Martuni community, stated that villagers from neighboring areas will also join the protest and are planning to block the road. He said, “Cabbage and potatoes are not being consumed. We appealed to our local authorities about 10-15 days ago to resolve our issue. Since autumn, they have been importing Persian and Turkish cabbage, selling it, while our own produce is going to waste. A few days ago, we blocked the road, and our local authorities came and said they would find a solution, we were told to wait until Monday. Today we went, and they said we need to wait again, to see how this matter unfolds. But the produce doesn’t wait; it is already rotting, and we want to block the road to force the government to address our concerns, either find a way for us to relocate, or ensure our products are sold, to find some exit.”

Resellers are offering to buy potatoes at best for 50 drams, while in “Mr. Aleksanyan’s city,” the price is 250 drams. A Yerevan resident remarked, “The farmer is such a graceless person; he prices potatoes at 250 drams, and is still not satisfied.”