GRAIN CROP YIELD DECLINES BY 60% IN LOW-LYING REGIONS OF KOTAYK MARZ

Noyan Tapan
Aug 29 2006

HRAZDAN, AUGUST 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The harvest of grain has completed
on 10 thousand hectares in low-lying regions of Kotayk marz. Mher
Eghiazarian, head of the agriculture department of the Kotayk regional
administration, told NT correspondent that this year the crop yield
declined by 60%, mainly due to unfavorable climatic conditions. The
average crop yield in low-lying regions made 8 centners against 19
centners last year. The grain harvest is underway in mountainous
regions of the marz where areas under crops cover about 4 thousand
ha. Haymaking was completed: over 30 thousand tons of grass and
2 thousand tons of straw was cut, which is by 50% less than last
year. The harvest of fruit and vegetables was completed by 30% and
will continue until November.

According to the latest information, as of August 25, about 4 thousand
tons of vegetables, 3 thousand tons of fruit and 900 tons of potato
was harvested. Out of 700 ha of areas under sown with potato, harvest
was finished only on 60 ha.