Armenia: Agribusiness expert advises Armenian farmers to grow potato in 2016
Hrach Berberyan, the head of the Agrarian-Peasant Union of Armenia, advises farmers to cultivate potatoes, predicting that next year the harvest of early crops of potatoes will be in great demand in the Russian market.
After the worsening of between Russia and Turkey over a Russian plane downing at the Syrian border, a ban was imposed on imports of Turkish goods in Russia, thus opening up a market for products imported from other countries, as well as from Armenia.“
I urge all those farmers involved in agriculture business in the Ararat Plain to enlarge lands for potatoes, as well as to obtain seeds of good quality, since we are going to make a big purchase for exporting to the Russian market,” said Berberyan, adding that it is about 10,000 tons of potato, which is a high amount for exports.Hrach Berberyan gives assurances that the Russian market will be open for Armenian potatoes from late May till July 20, and in late July the market will be flooded with early potatoes from the Krasnodar region of Russia.Berberyan added that in addition to potatoes it would be possible to be engaged in the export of tomato, but the moth which spoils most tomato crop, impedes it.
“Moth reaches tomato fields in the period when vegetable yield is the most abundant, that is in August, and by that time the potato crop is consumed, that’s why it does not affect potatoes,” said Berberyan.To fight the moth government support is needed, as a villager is unable to do that on his or her own, the specialist said.
Fuente: http://www.armenianow.com/economy/68963/armenia_agriculture_2016_economy_berberyan
