Azernews.Az

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Water shortage has paralyzed the rural regions of Armenia, where agriculture is supposed the main engagement of the local population.

Armenian farmers said in an interview for 1in.Am TV local channel on the sidelines of the agricultural products fair that first of all they need water.

"We need water, but it was cut off and everything is wilting, our fields are turning to deserts," one of the visitors said, noting that the entire crop has perished due to the water deficiency.

He also complained of lawlessness in the regions, saying that they are forced to pay for water which they actually do not get. Even those who could not pay were sued in an illegal way.

The farmers tried to contact Deputy Agriculture Minister of Agriculture Robert Makaryan, who walked through the fair, and complain on their water problem.

The rural residents also noted that they were unable to repay the bank loans, as it became harder for them to harvest the necessary crop from the withering lands. They closed the highway because of the water problem and addressed the agriculture minister. But it was revealed that the water issues in Armenia was under the control of the state committee for water economy.

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) reports that agriculture is one of the most important sectors of the Armenian economy and employs almost 45 percent of the country's population. But on the contrary, its share in GDP decreased due to low productivity. Farmers are the most disadvantaged population group in Armenia as nearly half of them are living in poverty.

The province of Syunik is one of the poorest regions of Armenia, SDC reports. Limited access to markets impedes agricultural activity of farmers in Syunik. The two most important problems of the agriculture sector - low efficiency and limited access to markets are reigning all over Armenia, as well as in Syunik region.