WHY FARMERS REFUSE GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE

[Yervant1]

WHY FARMERS REFUSE GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE

Farmers refuse the wheat seeds provided by the government in different
regions. The farmers have the experience of fraud of subsidized
seeds last year. The seeds were low quality and the harvest was poor,
leaving farmers facing court.

We have learned that the farmers refuse the "elite seeds" imported
from Russia. We have even learned that the ministry of agriculture
told farmers that after the harvest they can return one kilo per one
kilo seeds instead of the previous 2 per 1.

The experts of the ministry told farmers that seeds were imported
from Krasnodar and will grow well in the climate of Armenia. However,
most farmers avoid the government assistance.

Earlier the farmers of hail-stricken Armavir region refused the seeds
subsidized by the government. The farmers told Lragir.am they do not
trust the government and they accepted the government's assistance
but sowed their own seeds.

Note that the ministry of agriculture sued the farmers who received
"elite" seeds from the government in 2011 but were unable to return
2kg of wheat per kg of aid seeds. They were unable to return because
they could not produce the expected amount.

The farmers blame the ministry of agriculture noting that the seeds
were of low quality and were not tried out in Armenia. The experts
of the ministry state that the climate was the cause.

12:59 19/10/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/country/view/31137