The annual Rural Life and Traditions Festival opened today in English park of Yerevan. The event is aimed at sustainable agricultural development and assisting the farmers across the country to sell their products, including organic produce.

Chairwoman at Green Lane NGO Nune Sarukhanyan noted the festival is one of the long-awaited and most favorite festivals in the capital turning to holiday not only for the city residents but also farmers and members of the farmer groups.

“The message we try to deliver through the festival is together we will create more sustainable and active village communities. promoting the locally cultivated agricultural products,” Sarukhanyan said.

The opening ceremony was attended by Armenia’s Minister of Agriculture Ignati Arakelyan. “These festivals come to prove the village remains the main provider for cities. The event is organized for city residents to get familiarized with achievements in agriculture, recorded in the result of the projects by international organizations, among other stakeholders,  and achieved by farmers’ and women’s groups. The festival is also a good opportunity to obtain goods which are not sold at markets yet,” the minister said in his remarks, assuring greater achievements for Armenia’s agricultural sector are ahead.

The festival is organized by the Green Lane NGO with the support of ministry of agriculture and Yerevan municipality. The festival provides unique opportunity to small-sized farmers to find markets for their products and establish direct links with buyers and new producers. The year’s event is attended by entrepreneurs and small-sized processing companies not only from Armenian provinces but also from neighboring Georgia and Iran.

Apart from farmers’ produce, the festival encompasses singing, dancing and theatrical performances, a wide variety of arts and handicrafts made by local artisans and craftsmen.