UNSATISFACTORY STATE OF AGRICULTURE

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department
March 16, 2009

On March 14, a conference took place in the NKR Government, to which
all republican and regional responsible persons were invited. Touching
in brief upon facts recorded during his visits to rural communities of
the Republic within the last month, the Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan
noted, in particular, that countrymen are not properly aware of
state programmes being implemented in the sphere of agriculture, they
don’t know about their meaning and importance. According to the Prime
Minister’s characteristics "at present we have a decayed agriculture;
from a country exporting agricultural products we have turned into
an importing one". Means cumulated during decades were dispersed,
agricultural activities are conducted in a poor and nonprogrammed
manner, the Prime Minister said. Because of the responsible persons’
and land users’ carelessness, today many sown areas are infected with
pests and weeds, sizable areas are not cultivated.

Warning signals in view of existing cases of Cyprus fever (brucellosis)
are received in the sphere of cattle-breeding too. Necessary measures
in proper time appropriate to rules are not carried out, the Prime
Minister emphasized, and announced that hereinafter the Government
will assist only to those, who works appropriate to state programmes
and do not lead the economy in a haphazard manner.

A.Haroutyunyan had also touched upon main problems existing in the
irrigation sphere. It was noted, that in some areas inner water pipes
are plundered and a number of irrigation sources, which are possible
to be brought to operation at minimal costs, are standing idle.

The Prime Minister estimated the state of agriculture as unsatisfactory
and warned that all those, not fulfilling their duties, thus
not providing development of the given sphere, will be strictly
punished. Such attitude of some persons must be considered a crime,
he said.

At the conference, the NKR Minister of Agriculture Armo Tsatryan
spoke about current agricultural activities. According to him, the
greater deal of the sphere’s existing problems are preconditioned by
carelessness of economic executives of villages.

Listening to specifications of separate regional responsible persons
of the sphere, the Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan emphasized that
it is necessary to have constant meetings and to conduct explanatory
works among the villagers. With the aim to increase the efficiency
of the sphere the Government anticipates to found sub regional small
stations with involvement of agronomists and veterinary surgeons. The
Prime Minister instructed responsible persons of the sphere to conduct
systematized combating agricultural pests, weeds and diseases, to use
state assistance in the best way. He assured that in conditions of
existing financial and economic crisis all state programmes concerning
the sphere of agriculture will be continued and are financed in
anticipated volumes.

Participants of the conference received specified instructions from
the Prime Minister.