Tomatoes have wilted: what will the protests of farmers in Armenia lead to?
A series of protests were held in Armenia by farmers who are unhappy with the problems with the export of their products. Farmers growing cucumbers and tomatoes blocked the international highway to Iran, and fish farmers went to the government building. All of them say that, contrary to the promises of the country's prime minister, access to the European market is closed to them. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Cucumbers and fish
On July 20, a group of farmers from the Ararat region in southwestern Armenia blocked the Yerevan-Yeraskh international highway leading to the border with Iran. Judging by the published footage, the farmers put the cars on the roadway and refused to clean them according to the demands of the police.
The participants explained to the journalists that they were protesting because of problems with the sale of products. Local factories stopped accepting cucumbers and tomatoes from them due to difficulties with exporting to Russia and an oversupply of the domestic market.
One of the participants of the action, Artak Harutyunyan, said that he has 60 tons of tomatoes in his fields, which have nowhere to put them. "They are intended for factories, but they are not being purchased because they cannot export them. I do not know what to do," he complained. The farmer added that those gathered demanded that the state help with the sale of goods or grant a deferral on loans. If this does not happen, then tougher actions will follow.
On the morning of July 21, another similar rally was held in Yerevan near the government building, which was attended by Armenian fish farmers. They said that after the closure of the Russian market, the situation has become extremely difficult. According to them, 15 thousand tons of products have accumulated in swimming pools and refrigerators, which have nowhere to sell, and it is very expensive to keep further.
The audience also criticized the statements of officials about the opening of the European market for fish farmers. "The EU does not know Armenian products, and they do not understand why they should spend money on them. There, fish food costs several times less than ours. What kind of focus should we do to overcome the price difference, to interest the European consumer, to resolve issues with logistics and visas?" said one of the protesters.
Another participant of the event drew attention to the fact that Europe has strict technical regulations governing water, feed, fish conditions and much more, so today there is no substitute for the Russian market. "We can protest like in Europe. We'll bring vests, set up tents, and block the streets with trucks. The situation is extremely difficult, the decline has been going on for three months," he said.
Export on pause
Relations between Russia and Armenia have been steadily deteriorating for several years. At first, Yerevan complained to the CSTO and the Russian peacekeepers working on the territory of Karabakh. Later, doubts arose about the EAEU economic Union, which allows countries to trade without duties.
In May of this year, against the background of the election campaign in Armenia, there was renewed talk about the desire to join the European Union. Yerevan even hosted a summit of the European Political Community, which was attended not only by the main European bureaucrats, but also by Vladimir Zelensky.
At the same time, the Russian side emphasized that Armenia would not be able to be a member of the EU and the EAEU at the same time. "It should be obvious, it should be honest, it was said in advance, as they say, on the shore: staying in the customs union with the European Union and the EAEU is impossible," Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed at a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a meeting in Moscow
As a result, since the end of May, Russia has imposed numerous restrictions on the import of Armenian vegetables, fruits, dried fruits, fish, Jermuk mineral water, individual wines, cognac and flowers. The officials drew attention to the fact that it was not a matter of politics, but of the violation of phytosanitary standards by Armenian producers. "Armenia's problem lies primarily in the organization of production and control," said Sergei Dankvert, head of the Rosselkhoznadzor.
At the same time, experts emphasized that Russia can easily replace Armenian suppliers, but Yerevan will experience serious difficulties. It was noted that 98% of Armenian exports of vegetables and root crops went to Russia last year, while the figure for fruits and nuts was 90%. In Russia, Armenian imports of mostly agricultural products amounted to 1-7% of the total volume.
As a result, the trade turnover between the two countries in January – May of this year fell by 21.5% compared to the same period last year. It is clear that the indicator will drop even more in the summer. Against this background, there was talk in Yerevan that Europe would become an alternative to the Russian market. In June, Nikol Pashinyan announced that the republic's agricultural products would not be subject to customs duties when imported into the EU.
In mid-July, Yerevan announced that it had received permission from the EU for the duty-free import of fish, which became the first such product. However, local producers did not get any more joy from this. Economist Harutyun Mnatsakanyan said that Armenian products are inferior in quality and more expensive than Norwegian ones. In addition, the transportation of goods to the EU is more difficult than transportation to Russia. Therefore, so far there is no need to talk about increasing trade turnover.
What the experts say
Arman Abovyan, a political scientist and former member of the Armenian parliament, believes that the current authorities have brought the country's economy to the brink of collapse.
— The authorities lie from morning to night. They were pushing the issue of allowing Armenian products to enter the European market, but in fact this is fiction. The EU has different requirements for the quality of goods. In addition, Brussels is pursuing a strict protectionist policy, that is, it works for the benefit of its producers, and not others, its own will always have an advantage. As a result, thousands of our farmers are now on the verge of bankruptcy, and this process is only gaining momentum," he explains.
Participants of the protest action of fish farmers at the Government building of Armenia
Political analyst Tigran Kocharyan says that there is no solution to the problem yet.
— Nikol Pashinyan obviously thought that he could easily reverse the aggravation with Russia after the parliamentary elections in our country in June. However, this does not happen. Vladimir Putin did not congratulate him on his victory, and the politicians did not see each other personally after the election either. The restrictions are not being lifted, but only tightened. We also hear about measures to prevent retransmission, when Armenian goods are imported into Russia under a false flag. Farmers and businesses have been eating through their stocks and savings, and now they are running out of reserves, so they are taking to the streets. If the situation does not improve, and the government does not take some serious measures, then our agriculture will face a deep crisis," he emphasizes.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
