Local Tomato Paste Faces Competitive Pricing Challenges in Recent Years

The issue of subsidizing tomato purchasing is on the agenda at the government session. Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan presented a draft proposal suggesting support for entities involved in the purchasing of tomatoes for the production of tomato paste in the 2025 season.

“In 2024, 15,200 tons of tomatoes were purchased, while this year, as of now, over 8,800 tons have been bought, which exceeds the same day figure from last year by about 5,000 tons. In recent years, there has been a decline in international prices for tomato paste, and locally produced tomato paste faces competitiveness issues not only in the international market but also in the domestic market,” Papoyan stated.

He also outlined the conditions under which the subsidy would be provided: “Support will not be provided for entities purchasing up to 2,000 tons of tomatoes. For every 1 kg of tomatoes purchased beyond 2,000 tons, a support of 10 drams will be provided. A prerequisite for providing support is that the minimum price of the purchased tomatoes cannot be lower than 40 drams, and the entire volume of tomatoes must be purchased.”