Armenia plans increased potato export to CIS countries

The total potato crop harvested in Armenia the past season will exceed the demand in the domestic market, according to the Minister of Agriculture in Armenia, Gerasim Alaverdyan. "The current potato cultivation area in Armenia is 33,000 hectares with a total harvest volume of 620,000 tons,"he said.

According to his estimate, roughly 400,000 tonnes of the current crop will be supplied to the domestic market, while the remaining volume (100,000-150,000 tons) will be exported abroad, in particular to Georgia.

The minister also added that during the next several years the Armenia’s authorities will significantly increase potato exports to CIS countries, and that several such agreements have already been signed. "I think that sales of 100,000-150,000 tonnes of potatoes this year will not be a big problem for us, because we have already agreed all the export conditions with some of our former partners,"the Minister said.