Armenia: Armenian farmers need to start working together - PM

Armenian farmers need to start working together, Agriculture Minister Sergo Karapetyan said on Saturday presenting a report on implementation of budget for 2013.

“The small size of farms hampers development of agro-industry that will increase competitive capability of the sector. There around 340 farms throughout the country. They, naturally, do not have sufficient income without cooperation,” Karapetyan said.

According to statistical data, in 2012 the per capita income in rural areas amounted to 38,500 drams ($93).

According to Vardan Urutyan, an expert of the International Center for Agribusiness Research and Education, there are about 4,000 agricultural cooperatives, but no data on how many of them actually work.