COLD SNAP CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO FRUIT TREES IN ARARAT AND ARMAVIR
Grisha Balasanyan

2010/ 03/22 | 12:50

The recent cold snap has damaged farm crops in the Ararat valley,
particularly plum and apricot trees that had blossomed due to the
preceding warm weather.

The Armavir Regional Authority told Hetq that the region’s entire
apricot crop of some 3,360 hectares had been damaged as well as 350
hectares of plum fields. Armavir authorities say they have contacted
the state government in Yerevan and are awaiting the creation of an
inter-departmental unit to assess the damage sustained.

Tigran Virabyan, from the Ararat Regional Authority’s Agricultural
Department told Hetq that 3,700 hectares of apricot fields had been
damaged by the freeze as well. Mr. Virabyan said that local inspection
units are out in the field to get a better picture of total losses
and that a final report will be filed in 2-3 days. "Let’s wait till
the weather gets back to normal and see where we stand," he said.