MAJOR THREAT TO RURAL POPULATION

Lragir, Armenia
10-09-2007 14:39:45

The rural population of Armenia is exposed to a new surge of poverty,
warned Hranush Kharatyan, ethnographer, on September 10 at the Hayeli
Club. The program of consolidation of land that the government has
launched will make land farming unprofitable, she says. The community
is entitled to put out the reserve land to sale through auction,
and the land is bought by rich people who already own large tracts
of land. A farmer who owns 2000-3000 sq m of land cannot compete with
another farmer who owns 200-300 hectares. Hranush Kharatyan says most
owners of processing factories prefer to deal with owners of large
farms, and farmers face difficulty selling their production.

Hranush Kharatyan says consolidation of land is one of the best ways
of development indeed but she said the government makes no efforts to
have it in the right direction and to eliminate its social consequences
for the rural population.