Some 201,899 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables were exported from Armenia as of December 14, the Ministry of Economy said.
According to the ministry, the exports during the mentioned time span were 28.5% more than the total of exports in 2020, when 145,830 tons of fruits and veggies were exported and by 41.3% more than in 2019 with 142,893 tons of exports, ARKA reports.
Export of potatoes amounted to 48,541 tons, which is also higher than in 2020, when 9,798 tons of that vegetable were exported. For comparison, in 2019, only 39 tons of potatoes were exported from Armenia.
During the reporting period, 35,168 tons of apricots were exported. This figure also increased compared to 2020 (19,714 tons) and 2019 (31,409 tons).
Export of tomatoes as of mid-December 2021 stood at 34,961 tons, also exceeding export volumes in 2020 (28,844 tons) and in 2019 (24,912 tons).
Armenian Deputy Minister of Economy Arman Khojoyan, who is overseeing the agricultural sector, said exports of agricultural products by the end of this year are expected to grow to 210,000-215,000 tons.
The growth of tomato exports is said to have been contributed by an increase in greenhouse farms.
"The export of cucumbers slightly decreased due to the congestion of trucks at Upper Lars checkpoint on the Russian-Georgian border. Some producers have replaced cucumber cultivation with tomatoes or peppers," Khojoyan said.
