Saturday, 22 April 2017
We Need to Change Quality Courageously - Prime Minister Meets with Farmers
Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received the representatives of a number of farms to discuss issues of topical interest, ways of developing agriculture and various projects.
The Prime Minister noted that the Ministry of Agriculture has already formulated the problems and their solutions so as to have efficient and modern agriculture.
“All our programs are focused on the development of cooperatives, introduction of modern technologies, coping with the problem of machinery and developing the inventory of our farms. We must do everything to make of farming a profitable business. Agriculture will have no future in Armenia unless we develop the farming sector and agricultural cooperatives. That is why I am ready to do everything – add momentum and apply different leverages – in order to make farming profitable in Armenia,” Karen Karapetyan said.
Reference was made to the development of horticulture and animal husbandry, insurance, introduction of network systems, application of anti-hail systems, establishment of an agricultural machinery center, the problem of pension seniority for farmers engaged in agricultural activities.
Noting that that insurance is the future of agriculture, the Premier advised that the Ministry of Agriculture is going to implement a pilot project. A comprehensive and systematic plan to counter natural disasters will be developed in the near future. Coming to the establishment of the farm machinery center, the Prime Minister stressed that a pilot project will be implemented to that effect.
According to Karen Karapetyan, the project will promote the provision of high quality services and competitive agricultural products. At the same time, it will help refurbish machinery on a regular basis, saving farmers the trouble of investing in the purchase of agricultural equipment.
The Prime Minister emphasized that machinery stations should be managed by the private sector: “We have estimated the amount of investment needed to make farm machinery available nationwide so that any person engaged in agriculture could benefit from this service. In this case, the cost will go down, and we believe that this business will be cost-effective. Why do we want to do this? We want to encourage knowledgeable people to give an idea and get engaged in this sector. We want you to act as managers, because the State is not a good business administrator.”
With reference to the plots of land left uncultivated because their owners are abroad, the Prime Minister instructed to submit specific proposals for solving the problem. “We must respect the right of ownership to the maximum, but if the owner does not fulfill its obligations, we should take concrete steps.” Noting that the Government has diagnosed the problems faced in each sector along with specific solutions, Karen Karapetyan stressed that all the sectors and primarily agriculture suffer from lack of efficiency.
“I do believe and I am convinced that we go the right way, and if we continue along this path, in 10 years others will come to our country to learn agriculture. You are the ones to take up the burden and act as active participants in this process. What I expect of you is to boldly go into these programs - intensive gardens, drip systems and so on. We need to change quality courageously, we have not got other followers but you,” the Head of Government said, adding that the Ministry of Agriculture is currently implementing the zoning of the whole country.
“It is crucial to believe in what we do. We will succeed 100%, just do not go away; do not limit yourself to your own farms. Our team has the necessary determination, but it is up to you to generate the ideas,” the Premier concluded.
