Gevorg Papoyan, Armenia's Minister of Economy, emphasized the need to reconsider priorities in the country's agricultural sector. During a conversation with journalists after a government meeting, he expressed the view that wheat farming in Armenia is economically unviable and suggested focusing on the development of intensive horticulture.
According to the minister, the government conducted a thorough analysis and decided to discontinue subsidies for winter wheat seeds. Papoyan provided a specific example: farmers harvest wheat worth around $1,026 per hectare of irrigated land, while the costs reach $1,077, rendering production unprofitable.
"We cannot continue supporting economically disadvantageous programs. Instead, we should invest in more profitable sectors," the minister stressed.
Papoyan noted that no country can be fully self-sufficient in all areas of agriculture. He suggested concentrating on developing intensive horticulture, which, in his view, has significantly greater profit potential.
"Using Armenia's limited land resources for wheat instead of intensive horticulture would be an extremely inefficient economic policy," the minister stated, adding that he will firmly oppose any attempts to promote such an approach.
