Spud Year: Agribusiness expert advises Armenian farmers to grow potatoes in 2016

Hrach Berberyan, the head of the Agrarian-Peasant Union of Armenia, advises farmers to cultivate potatoes, predicting that next year the harvest of early crops of potatoes will be in great demand in the Russian market. After the worsening of relations between Russia and Turkey over a Russian plane downing at the Syrian border, a ban was imposed on imports of Turkish goods in Russia, thus opening up a market for products imported from other countries, as well as from Armenia. “I urge all those farmers involved in agriculture business in the Ararat Plain to enlarge lands for potatoes, as well as to obtain seeds of good quality, since we are going to make a big purchase for exporting to the Russian market,” said Berberyan, adding that it is about 10,000 tons of potato, which is a high amount for exports. Hrach Berberyan gives assurances that the Russian market will be open for Armenian potatoes from late May till July 20. More