PROBLEM OF ANTI-HAIL UNITS’ INSTALLATION IN ARMENIA IN LACK OF FINANCES

YEREVAN, August 12. /ARKA/. The problem of anti-hail units’
installation in Armenia is in the lack of finances, Chief of the Plant
Growing Department of the RA Ministry of Agriculture Garnik Petrosyan
reported ARKA News Agency. He said that if they will not succeed in
attracting funds under the international program, they will have to
procure budget funds. He reported that if there is a positive
decision, the Argentinean anti-hail units approved in Aragatsotn
region will be installed in other regions as well. He also pointed out
that the priority will be the installation of these units in Armavir
region as considerable damages caused by the hail were registered in
Janfida, Pshatavan, Nalbandyan villages and some neighboring
communities over the last three years. He also said that a group of
scientists from the State Engineering University of Armenia headed by
Professor Mirzakhanyan in cooperation with Department of Emergency
Situations conduct researches to have their own anti-hail
proposals. “The work is of a large scale and the problem of funding
needs to be resolved”, Petrosyan said.

According to local specialists, the annual loss in agriculture in
Armenia because of the hail makes USD 30mln. The pilot anti-hail
program was implemented in Aragatsotn region in 2004, when 15
Argentinean emplacements were imported and experimentally
approved. The anti-hail unit costs USD 30,000 and the RA Government
provided AMD 180mln for approval of the anti-hail units. A.A. -0–