ArmInfo. Armenia has ensured its food security by at minimum 70% . Member of the My Step parliamentary faction Varazdat Karapetyan expressed a similar opinion to ArmInfo.
"At this stage, fortunately, we have no problems with providing the population with food. However, if the situation with the spread of coronavirus lasts for a relatively long time and if such phenomena become more frequent, in general, Armenia may encounter this problem. Our concept special measures and steps towards ensuring food security are aimed at avoiding such a scenario, "he said.
In this light, Karapetyan is convinced of the need to improve food security, regardless of how much the cost of this will be required from the state budget. The parliamentarian sees the need to create certain stocks of wheat and other similar vital products, and also in the development of livestock, fish farms.
"At this stage, we are working with the government to develop an appropriate concept in this direction, the results of which will be presented in the coming weeks. It's not about a short-term social program. It's about long-term government policy priorities. It is necessary to stimulate our agricultural producers to increase production of such products," the parliamentarian emphasized.
To this end, the government, according to him, will encourage cattle breeding or the cultivation of certain crops, taking into account the climatic conditions and the competitive advantages of a particular area. According to Karapetyan, this concept as a whole is along the lines of the government's program to provide seasonal workers with work in the homeland by stimulating capital expenditures. At the same time, he expressed hope that through the growth of state investments in the country it will be possible to provide work for the citizens of Armenia who work abroad on a seasonal basis.
"This is not only about agriculture, but also about urban planning, road construction. The small size of Armenia gives our country flexibility, especially to our small enterprises. It is this flexibility that should become a mechanism that allows our enterprises to fill all possible niches in the world with Armenian products "I think that it is the development of agriculture and the concomitant development of the processing industry with the final creation of environmentally friendly products - only one of the possible directions," the parliamentarian concluded.
