Armenia’s 2009 agricultural budget 13.8bln amd

YEREVAN, November 7. /ARKA/. Armenia’s 2009 agricultural budget is
13.8bln AMD ` an annual increase of 7%.
RA Minister of Agriculture Aramais Grigoryan reported that a total of
300mln AMD is to be allocated for the plant protection program.

The Minister pointed out that 300mln AMD is budgeted for land
reclamation, with 120mln AMD to be allocated for the purification of
riverbeds and bank consolidation. Grigoryan pointed out that the work
is being properly carried out.

He said that 100mln AMD will be allocated for the purification of the
Hrazdan River and consolidation of its banks. A total of 80mln AMD will
be directed to the construction of three reservoirs in the Ararat
valley for the irrigation of 160 hectares of land.

The Minister said that a total of 188mln AMD is budgeted for seed
farming development.

`We will import elite seeds, particularly from Ukraine, Russia and
Belarus because they get well acclimatized here. We plan to import 30
tons of spring grain crops and 30 tons of winter barley,’ the Minister
said.

Grigoryan pointed out that 1.6bln AMD is budgeted for a program of
government grants for citizens wishing to engage in agriculture.

`Last year the program proved its efficiency ` the sown area increased
by 6,000 hectares. The program must be continued, and we would like to
pay more attention to cereal crops next year,’ Grigoryan said.

He reported that 183mln AMD are budgeted for agricultural consulting.
The Ministry also plans to implement a large-scale forest protection
program, antiepidemic measures as well as vaccination of livestock.`0–