Armenia Shifts Toward Intensive Orchard Agriculture

The Armenian government is promoting intensive orchard cultivation as the agricultural sector's future, citing higher yields, reduced risks, and state backing as key advantages. The policy represents a shift in farming practices within Armenia, with officials positioning modernized orchard agriculture as an economically viable pathway for the sector. The initiative includes government support mechanisms to encourage adoption of intensive farming methods. However, the transition raises questions about how it will affect small-scale farmers already operating in Armenia's agricultural landscape. The report comes from Hetq, an Armenian investigative news outlet, and examines the tension between large-scale agricultural investment and traditional farming operations.