In Armenia, farmers blocked the Yerevan-Erash highway on July 20 in protest against problems with the purchase of their tomato harvest. Agrarians have faced a lack of demand for their produce and are demanding that the authorities resolve the current situation.
According to Armenian media, tomato processing has been threatened by the refusal of procurement companies to accept raw materials. A resident of the Ararat Province, Artak Harutyunyan, told journalists that he currently has 60 tons of tomatoes in his fields that factories are refusing to purchase.
“Every year there is a situation like this; until the people gather, the issue is not resolved. In 2025, they promised that this year would be better, but this year it is even worse. Our tomatoes are intended for factories, but they are not buying them, saying: 'We will not be able to export the produce, so why buy it?' I currently have 60 tons, and I do not know what to do,” Harutyunyan stated.
Villagers note that Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan had previously promised to resolve the issue with the purchase of tomatoes and cucumbers, however, no real measures were taken. According to the protesters, both relevant factories are refusing to accept the harvest.
Approximately 15 minutes after the start of the protest, the farmers agreed to reopen traffic on the highway.
Source: haqqin.az