2024-08-21 15:55:35
A meeting was held in the government under the leadership of Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during which the course of the development programs implemented in the field of agriculture was discussed.
At the beginning of the consultation, Nikol Pashinyan noted: “We are talking about programs aimed at providing financial support to agricultural farms, the basis of which is the development of these farms. We will try to understand how well the programs are working and what we should do to make them relevant, accessible and effective, in the sense of the development of the agricultural sector.”
Deputy Minister of Economy Arman Khojoyan presented details about the progress of the programs. In particular, the deputy minister reported that the production of fruit-vegetable preserves and fruit juices increased by 59 percent in the current year compared to the same period last year. 116 thousand 930 tons of fruits and vegetables have already been exported. This indicator was less than 2 times in the same period of 2020.
Arman Khojoyan informed that in general, 14 development programs are operating in the field of agriculture, including: leasing, horticulture and irrigation, insurance, pedigree livestock breeding/cattle breeding, procurement of raw materials, production and export, winemaking, provision of subsidized loans, autumn and spring sowing. wheat cultivation etc.
Referring to the leasing program, the deputy minister noted that its use is an additional financial tool in the financial market. “The leasing tool is provided for agricultural machinery and agro-processing equipment. We assess the start and implementation of the project as quite good, the indicators satisfy us. It is also gratifying that the successful use of the leasing tool enables the creation of professional associations, with which we can make the program more targeted through cooperation and legislative reforms,” Khojoyan said, adding that the limit for processing equipment was increased from AMD 450 million with this program. is up to 1 billion drams.
Currently, efforts are being made to include the installation tool for solar photovoltaic plants in the leasing program, which will contribute to reducing the cost of production costs and increasing competitiveness.
The Deputy Minister added that 100 units of agricultural machinery have already been provided to farms in the current year within the framework of international programs. that number is expected to increase by another 200 units by the end of the year.
Referring to the program aimed at the development of intensive horticulture, the deputy minister noted that the process is satisfactory in the current year as well. In 2020, 518.6 hectares of parks were established in the republic within the framework of the program, and 350.7 hectares in the first half of the current year. According to Khojoyan, the results provide positive dynamics. According to him, the changes implemented in this program last year made it possible to build water basins in the gardens, which will allow businessmen to accumulate water and supply it as needed. Another component has been added to the program. it is about promoting the production of high-value crops. This change will take effect from 2022.
It was noted that the rural security program is also in intensive progress. Compared to the previous year, the number of insurance contracts in the current year is 3 times more. The insured crops are mainly grain, apricots and apples. New crops will also be included in the program this year.
The Deputy Minister of Economy referred to the progress of the projects of cattle breeding and sheep breeding, construction of smart livestock buildings. It was informed that within the framework of the project financed by the World Bank and implemented by the Ministry of Economy, the works of implementing irrigation systems for pastures are currently underway in 19 communities of 6 regions. This year, 10 more communities will start such works. Community animal shelters will also be built in 50 communities.
Reference was also made to the progress of the programs aimed at promoting the production of autumn wheat and spring crops.
Arman Khojoyan reported on the activities aimed at organizing the process of procurement of grapes and other products. It was noted that they already had meetings with large suppliers and discussed the existing problems, the steps to solve them and the volumes of lending by the state. The Deputy Minister assured that the procurement process will be carried out in an orderly manner and without problems.
The developments in the field of wine and cognac export and the steps to solve existing problems were also discussed.
Summarizing the meeting, Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the importance of increasing the productivity of the rural sector and emphasized the need to ensure the effectiveness of the programs implemented by the government in this direction. Nikol Pashinyan instructed the officials to carefully follow the progress of the projects implemented by the beneficiaries of the programs in order to evaluate their effectiveness and the possibilities of improving the programs.