Armenia’s Ministry of Agriculture is carrying out a research program to find out why the 1/3 of agricultural lands remain uncultivated in the country.

Speaking to Tert.am, Minister Sergo Karapetyan avoided mentioning the causes, saying the results of the program have not been summed up yet.

Referring to the registered results, the minister said the volume of cultivated land has increased in the country since the past year. According to him, this year 25,000 hectares more have been cultivated. He said if the number of cultivated lands increases by 15 thousand hectares annually, there will not be uncultivated lands in Armenia.

The minister said the success has been registered thanks to the low interest rate loans given to farmers. “We also gave them fertilizers, seeds, diesel and people started cultivating lands,” the minister said, adding that the state support programs will continue.

Sergo Karapetyan said the harvest this year will be rich. “The apricot export volume increased twice, the volumes of its sale as well,” the minister said, adding they expect large harvest of peach as well. “We will have great volume of peach, grape. We have great volume of vegetables as well,” he stressed, noting that the year was quite favorable.