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The land
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Total area 29 800 km2,
A combination of highlands, plateaux, deep valleys and high mountains. 70% of the country is between 1600 and 3000 m above sea level. There is good agricultural soil in the Araks River Valley
According to Koeppen’s classification both temperate and cold climates are found, depending on the altitude and the proximity to either the Black Sea or the Caspian Sea.
Arable land and permanent crops 0.6 million ha, permanent pasture 0.8 million ha and forests and woodland 0.4 million ha.
Agricultural production is based on viticulture (21 500 ha) and vegetables (28 700 ha) with well developed growing of wheat (95 000 ha) and barley (70 000 ha) as well as livestock production.
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Other indicators
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Population (1998 e) 3.5 million of which in agriculture 0.48 million (13.7%)
GNP per capita (1998) $ 460 (low income)
Agriculture Production Index average for 1997-99 was 76.2 - (net PIN base 1989-91=100)
The value added of agriculture as percentage of GDP was 33% in 1998
Agricultural imports grain and food items
The average availability of calories per capita/per day in 1995-97 was 2 264.
Armenia has some 110 000 refugees that aggravate problems of food supply. In November 1999 Armenia was among the 34 countries with a shortfall in food supplies requiring exceptional and/or emergency assistance. Some 170 000 vulnerable people are covered by WFP food assistance programme of the duration of three years. For year 2000 estimates indicated a need to import 370 000tonnes of cereals of which 350 000 tonnes of wheat.
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Agricultural sector
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The annual harvest of wheat and barley can satisfy only 25-30% of domestic demand. Production has been reduced by non competitive yields and by the high cost of fuel. Cultivation of potatoes, horticulture and forage crops is sufficient for local consumption. The production of fruit, grape and tobacco has potential for growth and for entering international trade.
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National agricultural policy
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The privatisation of land started immediately in 1991; it also covered the livestock, machinery and most capital assets of production. Reforms in the villages were accompanied by the plight of energy crisis, economic blockade and war.
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Land tenure
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Agricultural reform has resulted in the establishment of some 321 000 small private farms (each subdivided in several extremely small plots), operating at low level of productivity and facing major constraints in marketing their products beyond local rural markets. Where the land is at considerable distance (sometimes 15 to 20 Km) from the dwelling, the plots are not cultivated.
A large number of refugees originate from urban areas of Azerbaijan; their settlement in rural areas is of necessity but they lack knowledge of agriculture.
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Rural infrastructure
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Rural industries have disappeared or are hardly functioning, causing a lack of income and further unemployment of women workers.
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Agricultural inputs
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Farm machinery is missing or is obsolete; there has been neither local production nor import of such machinery for nearly a decade. The high cost of fuel affected the production of cereals.
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Role of women
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Within rural communities women have a major role with authority to decide only in restricted fields: education, health, culture and social welfare. Women village leaders were about 20 in 1998. Rural women carry out the same heavy duty activities of their husbands: manual land cultivation, livestock and farm management work.
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Seed sector
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The law on the “Protection of Breeding Achievements” ratified on 12 December 1999 aims at conformance to the UPOV Convention on plant breeder’s rights.
The authority responsible for the application of the Law is the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, through the “Centre for Breeding Achievements Tests and Protection”(a closed joint-stock company).
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Variety evaluation and registration
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For all crops the, the institution responsible for variety evaluation and registration is the above mentioned Centre. Requests for testing and registration must be directed to that Centre. The proposed variety must satisfy DUS criteria and a 2 to 3 year series of tests. The evaluation process requires the opinion from independent experts and a review by a state Commission also empowered to authorise the quantity of seed to be reproduced. The registration process ends with the release of the variety. From year 2000 improved varieties are published in the official bulletin of the Centre.
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Seed production
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Seed production is carried out mainly by six state breeding institutions. One of them is specialised in fruit, another one in horticultural crops and a third one in tobacco and soybean.
The other three deal with cereals and other species. They employ a total of 58 breeding experts.
The production of seed is not sufficient to satisfy the domestic demand for several crops, e.g. only 50% for cereals, 60% for vegetables and 70% for potatoes. The balance must be imported. A number of institutions abroad extend assistance in the acquisition of seeds.
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