Armenia plans to develop processing industry in villages

Processing agricultural enterprises should be closer to farms and
should benefit village communities in Armenia, the head of the village
development and food security department of the Agriculture Ministry
of Armenia has said, ARKA reports.

Valeriy Azoyan said that 60% of processing enterprises are located
around Yerevan. Development of communities, especially in mountainous
regions, is an economic priority of Armenian policy. Development of
infrastructure should reduce the polarization between city and village
inhabitants and equalize their living standards.

The official also noted that the country has special state programs
for developing raw material basis, including credit programs.

Armenia has imported 1,000 tons of seeds which will be distributed
among farmers. The state budget spent 500 million drams. The program
allows the production of higher quality seeds in the future.

On October 1 Armenia received 1,010 tons of wheat seeds from Russia,
which will be distributed among 95-100 major farm economies. Next year
the farmers will return the seeds in a 1:2 ratio.

Armenia consumes 650,000 -720,000 tons of grain annually. The country
produces 168,000 - 175,000 tons. It imports 380,000 - 420,000
annually.