Approximately 160,000 Tons of Grapes Processed: A Good Indicator, Says Government

Today I noted that we are in the concluding phase of the grape harvesting season and it was remarkable that there is no noise or uproar this year. This was announced today at a government session by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The Prime Minister stated that this is a memorable circumstance: "I do not recall a time when during the grape harvest period, the government did not receive stressful and chaotic information. Congratulations to all of us in this regard!"

This is linked to the actions we have taken since last year through the State Revenue Committee. I hope we have found a way to ensure that there is no artificial tension and violations of farmers' rights,” said the Prime Minister, adding that this is a positive result.

The Deputy Minister of Economy, Vahagn Avanesyan, presented harvesting statistics, announcing that approximately 160,000 tons of grapes have been processed, which is 37% more than last year's figures. However, he noted that these are preliminary numbers and still need to be refined.

Avanesyan also reported that the price of grapes processed for brandy is between 150-155 drams, which is slightly higher than last year’s price. "These are encouraging indicators," said Avanesyan, adding that grape processing for wine still needs to occur.

The Prime Minister mentioned that wine grapes are usually processed at a higher price. Pashinyan also noted that he has received concerns that the statistics regarding grape processing and generally presented figures are not entirely accurate: "This is somewhat connected to the mechanisms that existed previously. We have a lot of work to do regarding the sources of our statistical methodology."

The Chairman of the Statistical Committee of Armenia, Stepan Mnatsakanian, also stated that grape harvesting statistics have not been conducted, and they are collecting data on produced agricultural products. The Prime Minister inquired about the registration of vineyards and noted that the devil is in the details, to which Mnatsakanian responded that current registrations are being carried out by local municipalities.