APUA chairman offers to fix export quota for apricots

June 28, 2011 - 12:04 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Agrarian-Peasant Union of Armenia (APUA) called on the government to show a professional approach and fix the export quota for apricots.

“In developed countries it is allowed to export 10-15% from the total amount of harvest,” APUA chairman Hrachya Berberyan told a press conference in Yerevan on June 28.

As he said, the crop capacity of apricots this year will amount to some 30% or 20 thous. tons against the of prolific years index of 75 thous. tons.

“Today the price for 1kg apricot is steady at 1 euro,” Berberyan said, adding that the association is not against export promotion, however, first and foremost, it is necessary to provide the local market, and then to export the excess crop.

Touching upon the vegetables crop, the APUA chairman undertook an obligation to warn villagers of obvious drought signs, noting that they should water potato fields to avoid losses. Thereupon he added that potato prices in Armenia this year have dropped which is the result of using imported high quality seeds, and promised that in 2012 when the potato market gets stabilized the prices will go even lower and there will be an opportunity to export it.