Within the framework of the “Irrigated Agriculture Development in Ararat and Armavir Marzes” (IADAAM) program, the Agricultural Extension Support Team (AEST) carried out a field visit to the Vosketap settlement of Vedi community to assess current challenges and explore development opportunities in the grape and tomato value chains.
Through stakeholder consultations and on-site assessments with farmers, aggregators, and other value chain actors, several critical challenges were identified:
▪️ Limited market access and low procurement prices, stemming from long distances to markets, lack of coordination, and unfavorable contract terms with processors
▪️ High costs and low quality of agro-inputs, particularly pesticides and fertilizers, leading to increased vulnerability to diseases and fruit pests
▪️ Insufficient access to agricultural machinery, with high seasonal demand and limited availability
▪️ Labor shortages, driven by youth migration and the low appeal of daily wage employment
▪️ Limited access to affordable credit, due to prohibitively high interest rates
▪️ Lack of soil analysis and poor soil quality assessment, hindering effective land management and productivity
These identified challenges will serve as a foundation for designing targeted advisory interventions and informing policy recommendations by AEST, aiming to foster a competitive, resilient, and sustainable agricultural system.
Irrigated Agriculture Development in Ararat and Armavir marzes (IADAAM) project, financed through the European Union (EU) with implementation by the French Development Agency (AFD) is an integrated initiative aimed at transforming irrigated agriculture in Armenia.
Within IADAAM project a technical assistance component is implemented jointly by AESA – Agriconsulting Europe SA, Avenue Consulting Group LLC, Strategic Development Agency NGO and 3R Strategy LLC consortium and aims to provide institutional support to the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia (MoE) in the formulation of agricultural policies and reforms in priority areas, provide technical support to the MoE in the implementing project activities, ensure communication and reporting for the IADAAM project.