Armenian peach farmers block highway over low purchase prices

Peach farmers from the villages of Khandjyan and Atsik in Armenia’s Armavir province blocked the Armavir-Yerevan highway, demanding a solution to the issue of peach purchase prices.

According to Caliber.Az, citing Armenian media, the farmers expressed their dissatisfaction to the head of the local administration, who arrived at the scene.

“We can wait, but the fruit cannot wait. Peaches cannot wait!” the residents said.

The administration chief urged the protesters to stop blocking the road, saying that a meeting with the provincial governor was taking place at the Economy Ministry and that the issue was being addressed.

The farmers said exporters had offered a purchase price of 100 drams ($0.27) per kilogram for peaches, while the economy minister had promised exporters a state subsidy of 250 drams ($0.68) per kilogram.

“We are not going to give our work away for nothing. Let the state pay those 250 drams to us; we are ready to sell our produce at that price,” the farmers said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev