A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during which the work carried out under the 2020-2030 Strategy for the main directions ensuring the development of the agricultural sector of the Republic of Armenia was presented.

Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan presented the 7 priorities of the strategy, in the direction of which the work was carried out. Accordingly, during the reporting period, work was carried out aimed at increasing the competitiveness and efficiency of the agricultural sector, ensuring food safety, improving food security and nutrition, developing local markets and increasing export opportunities, developing human and institutional capacities in the agricultural sector, supporting the sustainable development of rural communities, promoting digital agriculture and technological innovations.

It was reported that the part concerning to agriculture of the Government's 2021-2026 Action Plan was largely based on this strategy. The main targets and results of the program were presented. In particular, it was planned to establish at least 1,000 hectares of intensive orchards each year, as a result of which in 2021-2024 applications for establishing orchards covering 7169 ha were approved (3260 ha was actually established), an increase in irrigable land areas with advanced irrigation technologies by about 3000 ha was planned, as a result, applications for 9340 ha were approved, an expansion of the areas of greenhouse farms was planned to be increased by 10 ha per year, as a result, a 49.4 ha greenhouse was established, an annual purchase of about 500 units of agricultural machinery was planned, as a result, 2685 units of machinery were purchased, support for the annual purchase of about 250 units of agroprocessing equipment was planned, as a result, 2358 units of equipment were purchased, the necessary legal acts were developed within the framework of the introduction of the planting material certification system.

Presenting sectoral indicators, it was reported that in 2023. the gross agricultural product amounted to 1 trillion AMD, and in January-September 2024 - 628.6 billion AMD.

Regarding the programs under implementation, it was reported that the target for leasing agricultural machinery is 500 units per year, but 855 units of equipment were purchased, including 213 units of tractors. The target set for leasing equipment in the agri-food sector is 250 units per year, but 377 units of equipment and new post-harvest infrastructure were purchased.

Within the framework of intensive horticulture development programs, the target was 1000 ha per year, and about 3260 ha of orchards were actually established. A new culture of horticulture was introduced, legal acts ensuring the implementation of the planting material certification system were developed and approved, the program contributed to the formation of new infrastructures and services for horticulture, and the website www.aygi.am was launched. Details were also presented on land consolidation, plant cultivation support, and greenhouse development support programs.

Regarding large investment programs in the areas of poultry farming, cattle breeding, and pig farming, it was reported that 11 contracts were signed during the reporting period amounting 82.42 billion AMD, 10 contracts are in progress with an investment of about 70 billionAMD. Within the framework of the 2024 Sheep and Goat Breeding Development Support Program, 5 applications were received to purchase 540 heads of animals.

Within the framework of the program for economic entities providing slaughterhouse services, the conditions of the leasing support program have been improved for the purpose of acquiring mobile and mobile modular slaughterhouses, support in the amount of 75% of VAT has been provided within the framework of the program for economic entities providing slaughterhouse services, 6 applications have been received in the amount of 17.9 million AMD, the 2nd component of the program is under development, which envisages compensation in the amount of the average cost of the service in the case of providing free slaughterhouse services.

It was reported that an animal numbering system has been introduced, within the framework of which the "ANI PAS" electronic information system has been introduced, which provides information about the animal, the system is a stimulating tool for livestock production.

Reference was also made to the implemented anti-epidemic measures and the work carried out to ensure food safety.

According to the report, the performance indicators of winemaking in 2021-2024 are as follows: the volume of grape wine production increased by about 15%, the number of actively operating winemaking companies increased by 1.5 times, reaching 170, the volume of grape wine exports increased by about 35%, the geography of exports also expanded to Brazil, Australia, South Korea and other countries. Armenian wines were presented at 16 prestigious international exhibitions (ProWein, London Wine Fair, VinExpo America, etc.), the number of wine tourists increased by about 5 times. A logistics warehouse for Armenian wines and the online e-commerce platform www.winesofarmenia.store were launched in Berlin, about 10,000 bottles of wine were sold in the EU through the platform in 2023-2024, and in 2026 Armenia will host the prestigious international competition Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.

A unified electronic system for the grape value chain was also created, within the framework of which an inventory of all grape orchards was carried out, identification of about 80% of orchards, development of technical tasks and announcement of a two-stage competition were carried out.

The report presented details on the work carried out in the reporting year to develop professional capabilities, international cooperation, as well as on the work carried out in the direction of digital agriculture.

Referring to the report, the Prime Minister noted that in general, the impression is optimistic. Nikol Pashinyan, in particular, spoke about the importance of intensive agriculture and noted: "Intensive agriculture is our locomotive topic, and I think it is time for us to finally come to this conclusion. Why? Because intensive agriculture means effective irrigation, intensive agriculture means land enlargement, intensive agriculture means labor efficiency, intensive agriculture means, by and large, the absence of problems related to consumption." Nikol Pashinyan added that intensive agriculture means a change in the general economic logic, since the methodologies of agriculture that have been widely accepted in our country have no future at all. "The locomotive that should drive us forward, at least in the field of plant breeding, is intensive agriculture, and we should also try to look at the traditionally important sectors of agriculture for us from this perspective," the Prime Minister emphasized and noted that our problems in the agricultural sector exist in those areas where we have difficulty ensuring transformation, and in those places where strategic decisions have been made, those decisions have already shown that they are justified. The next problem in the field of plant breeding, according to Nikol Pashinyan, is the long-term investment of insurance instruments, and work should also be done in that direction.

Regarding the horticulture sector, the Prime Minister referred to the program launched in the Khashtarak and Berkaber settlements of the enlarged Ijevan community, under which new intensive orchards are being established with state support instead of the former unproductive gardens near homes. “This program is of strategic importance for the communities and the country, because when we calculate the land balance, we count agricultural lands and, at least, when talking about cultivated and uncultivated lands, we do not take into account that thousands of hectares of land just do not produce results under the logic of garden near homes.”

Summing up his speech, the Prime Minister once again emphasized the importance of developing intensive agriculture, and also added that it is necessary to review the strategy of the agricultural sector, which will be aimed at promoting intensive agriculture and pedigree livestock breeding.