Agriculture: Bad weather made for bad outcome in 2010

24.12.2010

By Gayane Mkrtchyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

In its end-of-year summary, the Ministry of Agriculture of Armenia confirmed what is widely know – 2010 was a bad year for farming, resulting in a 14.5 percent decline in production.

“Frostbite early this year, then rain, then drought created unfavorable conditions for agriculture,” says Minister of Agriculture Gerasim Alaverdyan. “We had production decrease in all sectors of plant cultivation, which resulted in price hike this year.”
According to data of the National Statistical Service (NSS), in January-November 2010, 8.1 percent inflation was registered in Armenia, as compared to the same period last year, much of it related to food prices.
Severely hit this year was potato production, dropping from 590,000 tons last year to 490,000 this year. According to NSS potato prices increased by 39 percent.
Alaverdyan says fruit production was also drastically off its expected output.
“This year we had 185,000 tons fruit as compared to 330,000 tons in 2009. Only in Armavir province, 9,300 tons harvest was gathered as compared to 87,000 tons last year,” Alaverdyan says.
The poor performance was also felt in vegetable production: 800,000 tons in 2009, and 690,000 tons in 2010.
The rare good news was in grape production, with an increase to 218,000 tons over last year’s 207,000.
Rumors have surfaced that Alaverdyan may be in danger of being dismissed from his post.
“I have presented my work at the government session today. We hear the news every day, too. We will sum this up at our party, and my party and I will make this decision there. I am the soldier of my party.”