The data on apricot exports previously provided by the Ministry of Economy of Armenia are "absolutely unreliable," former Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic Ashot Harutyunyan said in an interview with Sputnik Armenia published today, July 17.
Earlier, Deputy Head of the Economic Department Arman Khojoyan said that as of July 3, apricot exports from the country amounted to 20,000 tons, which is 30,000 tons less than last year's figure.
"Considering that the harvest season began from June 5th to 10th, it would be unrealistic to achieve such volumes in 20 days (before July 1). Export 1000 tons of apricots per day through an unstable checkpoint "Upper Lars“ (on the Russian-Georgian border. — Ed.) impossible. This requires at least 55 cars daily, which is simply not feasible. We do not have villages with such a large harvest and a sufficient number of harvesters," Harutyunyan said.
This year, apricots were severely affected by hail: the quality of the fruits and their presentation were severely damaged. The price of high-quality apricots for export averaged 300 drams ($ 0.77) per 1 kg, while there were very few fruits of an ideal marketable type. For comparison, lower-quality apricots, which are sold in local markets, cost twice as much, the source told the publication.
Harutyunyan does not blame local exporters for the current situation — they already set low prices to minimize risks. In the conditions of a closed or overloaded Upper Lars, Armenian apricots may deteriorate on the road or additional costs will be required during their transportation to maintain the operation of refrigeration units, which increases the cost of the goods.
Apricot harvesting has already been completed in the main regions of Armenia, but problems have arisen in the areas where they ripen later. Large companies simply did not reach some areas.
"Alarm signals are coming from the villages of Karakert and Argun in the Armavir region, as well as from the villages of Aragatsavan and Arteni in the Aragatsotn region: apricots are falling off, but there are no buyers. The price offered by the purchasing companies is fantastically low — about 50 drams ($ 0.13) per 1 kg. This is another blow to the villagers, because their year—long work and investments are in vain," the ex-deputy minister states.
The cool and rainy summer in Armenia had a negative impact on the fruits. Heavy rains caused the flowers to fall off before pollination, and hail damaged the remaining crop. Nevertheless, it was implemented in the Ararat region by almost 80-90%, says Harutyunyan.
However, this cannot be said about the rest of the regions of the republic. The reduction in the volume of exports of agricultural products from Armenia has led to the fact that, for example, Armenian apricots have lost their positions in the Russian market to Uzbek ones. Armenian farmers are now afraid of losing an important market.
Despite the concerns of industry representatives, the relevant government agency assures that gross agricultural output has increased by 3.4% this year compared to the same period in 2023. However, so far the results have been summed up only for the first quarter of 2024. According to the Ministry of Economy of Armenia, about 62,000 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables were exported during this period, which is 10,000 tons more than in the same period last year. According to official statistics, in 2023, the total volume of exports of fresh fruits and vegetables from the republic amounted to 133,000 tons.