OREANDA-NEWS. March 18, 2011. President Serzh Sargsyan participated at the “Programs and problems for agriculture development in Armenia in 2011” forum, which was also attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Assembly, Public Council, Armenian State Agriculture University, officials responsible for agriculture in the territorial administrations, as well as representatives of public and international organizations and unions engaged in agriculture.

Before discussions with the participation of the President, panels were organized on Assistance to Agriculture, Fruit and seed growing, and Husbandry which was reflected in the report of the Minister of Agriculture presented to the forum.

After the introduction of the programs and following discourse, the President of Armenia underscored that it was very important to monitor the quality and efficiency of the programs. “If the results of the programs are not observable, it means that these programs are pointless and it’s sheer waste of time. As any other area, the area of agriculture too needs a strong hand, concerned and determined people, and I am confident, Mr. Karapetian, that the entire structure will feel that strong hand, and our farmers will feel your support, otherwise it will come to nothing,” said President Sargsyan addressing the Minister of Agriculture and other participants of the discussions. Serzh Sargsyan underlined that incompetent people, who cannot work on the programs, must leave. According to the President, the sector of agriculture and farmers will definitely benefit from it. “Everyone of us should realize that the well-being of our society is shaped by the efficiency of our individual performance,” the President of Armenia said.

President Sargsyan noted also that problems of the farmers are very concrete and the assistance should be concrete too – in terms of timing, prices, quantities - and the working process should be absolutely clear.

The President spoke also about the seeds, chemicals, fertilizers, machinery leasing issues which still remain current for the area of agriculture. He said that it would not be possible to solve all these issues simultaneously, however it is possible to streamline and establish a working structure. “In agriculture, every day is important. I am saying it to remind everyone who’s engaged in agriculture to be very effective so that later we can figure out who’s to be rewarded for good harvest, and who’s to be penalized for inaptitude,” said Serzh Sargsyan.

President Sargsyan spoke also about the process of organization of state purchases and the problem of land scarcity and huge wastelands in our country, whose owners do nothing to use it efficiently. The President assessed it as intolerable. “Our country is so small that each square centimeter of our land must be cultivated and fructiferous,” stressed the President of Armenia.

After the forum, President Serzh Sargsyan answered also to the questions raised by journalists, related to the agricultural problems and expectations from the programs, as well as internal situation and March 5 trilateral meeting in Sochi of the Presidents of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan.