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EXPERT BLAMES LARGE EXPORTERS FOR POTATO EXPORT PROBLEMS AT GEORGIAN BORDER
http://www.armenianow.com/economy/49780/armenia_potato_georgia_export
ECONOMY | 05.11.13 | 16:38
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Agrarian Union NGO Chairman Hrach Berberyan thinks that it is major
exporters and Georgia that gain from the recent scandal at the border
in which hundreds of tons of Armenian potato were turned away by
Georgian officials as "damaged".
"This year up to 10,000 tons of potatoes have already been
exported from Armenia. But there are [wholesale] buyers who seek
to acquire cheap potatoes. Exporters have taken advantage of the
Georgian-Azerbaijani propaganda. They spread the news for the farmers
to lower the price so that they can gain excessive revenues. It was
spread through all media that the road was closed and no potato [from
Armenia] was accepted in Georgia," Berberyan told media on Tuesday,
stressing that this year Armenia has had a very good potato yield.
Last week, Georgia's news website Georgia Online reported that
Georgia will return to Armenia 470 tons of potatoes. It said that
the inspection of the produce at the Sadakhlo customs check-point
revealed that some of the potatoes exported from Armenia had been
infected with harmful microorganisms - Ralstonia solanacearum (brown
rot) and Synchytrium endobioticum (Schilb) Perc (potato cancer). A
similar case was reported last April when about 12 tons of potatoes
were returned to Armenia.
Spokeswoman for the chief of the State Food Security Service of the
Armenian Ministry of Agriculture Armine Sukiasyan told ArmeniaNow
that the fact of the potatoes being "damaged" has not been proved in
any way, since Georgia has presented no result of laboratory testing
to the Armenian Service. Sukiasyan said that head of the Service
Abram Bakhchagulyan is currently in Georgia and only after he gets
explanations about the situation during meetings there will it become
possible for the Service to come up with an official statement.
"At this moment the Service denies the information that the exported
potatoes passed laboratory tests in Georgia, since there was only an
external inspection there. They heard that the potato was not good
and that was it. It is connected with some problems. We do not want
to comment on them at this point, because there are some importers
here, foreigners, to whom priority is given. As for why no written
information about the testing was provided to us and why now they
disseminate such information, that's exactly why the chief of the
Service is in Georgia today," said the spokesperson.
The Agrarian Union's head, meanwhile, called on potato producers
not to panic and not to think that the Georgian market was closed
to them, because the information that was widespread was "slander
and provocation".
"In the whole world the potato production situation is bad, the price
has gone up, but in Armenia there is a stable potato yield this year,
the country has satisfied its potato needs and we also hjave a little
something to export. They used to purchase at a wholesale price of 90
drams (less than 25 cents) [per kilogram], but recently the price went
up to 120 drams. At last farmers could earn a penny for their work, but
now they try to rob the peasants again," Berberyan said, recalling the
difficulties that the wholesale purchases of apricots involved during
the summer season, when apricots got rotten in queues at reception
points, forcing the farmers to sell off their produce at low prices.
http://www.armenianow.com/economy/49780/armenia_potato_georgia_export
ECONOMY | 05.11.13 | 16:38
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Agrarian Union NGO Chairman Hrach Berberyan thinks that it is major
exporters and Georgia that gain from the recent scandal at the border
in which hundreds of tons of Armenian potato were turned away by
Georgian officials as "damaged".
"This year up to 10,000 tons of potatoes have already been
exported from Armenia. But there are [wholesale] buyers who seek
to acquire cheap potatoes. Exporters have taken advantage of the
Georgian-Azerbaijani propaganda. They spread the news for the farmers
to lower the price so that they can gain excessive revenues. It was
spread through all media that the road was closed and no potato [from
Armenia] was accepted in Georgia," Berberyan told media on Tuesday,
stressing that this year Armenia has had a very good potato yield.
Last week, Georgia's news website Georgia Online reported that
Georgia will return to Armenia 470 tons of potatoes. It said that
the inspection of the produce at the Sadakhlo customs check-point
revealed that some of the potatoes exported from Armenia had been
infected with harmful microorganisms - Ralstonia solanacearum (brown
rot) and Synchytrium endobioticum (Schilb) Perc (potato cancer). A
similar case was reported last April when about 12 tons of potatoes
were returned to Armenia.
Spokeswoman for the chief of the State Food Security Service of the
Armenian Ministry of Agriculture Armine Sukiasyan told ArmeniaNow
that the fact of the potatoes being "damaged" has not been proved in
any way, since Georgia has presented no result of laboratory testing
to the Armenian Service. Sukiasyan said that head of the Service
Abram Bakhchagulyan is currently in Georgia and only after he gets
explanations about the situation during meetings there will it become
possible for the Service to come up with an official statement.
"At this moment the Service denies the information that the exported
potatoes passed laboratory tests in Georgia, since there was only an
external inspection there. They heard that the potato was not good
and that was it. It is connected with some problems. We do not want
to comment on them at this point, because there are some importers
here, foreigners, to whom priority is given. As for why no written
information about the testing was provided to us and why now they
disseminate such information, that's exactly why the chief of the
Service is in Georgia today," said the spokesperson.
The Agrarian Union's head, meanwhile, called on potato producers
not to panic and not to think that the Georgian market was closed
to them, because the information that was widespread was "slander
and provocation".
"In the whole world the potato production situation is bad, the price
has gone up, but in Armenia there is a stable potato yield this year,
the country has satisfied its potato needs and we also hjave a little
something to export. They used to purchase at a wholesale price of 90
drams (less than 25 cents) [per kilogram], but recently the price went
up to 120 drams. At last farmers could earn a penny for their work, but
now they try to rob the peasants again," Berberyan said, recalling the
difficulties that the wholesale purchases of apricots involved during
the summer season, when apricots got rotten in queues at reception
points, forcing the farmers to sell off their produce at low prices.