Armenia

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Overview

Country Armenia Capital : Yerevan

Armenia has a population of around 3 million.

The Armenian economy was transformed from agricultural to primarily industrial under Soviet rule. However, agriculture remains important, accounting for about two-fifths of the gross domestic product and it employs one-fifth of the labour force.

Peaches and apricots are the most common orchard crops. Apples, cherries, mazzards (sweet cherries) and pears are cultivated in the colder climate. Walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pomegranates and figs are also produced in this area.

86-90% of the food energy consumed in Armenia comes from crops that are not native to the region. Most of these plants’ diversity is found elsewhere on the planet.

The Crop Trust has supported 2 projects in Armenia

  1. Barley: The Crop Trust provided support to the Armenian State Agrarian University (ASAU) to regenerate and characterize 33 barley accessions with the objective of rescuing threatened diversity and enhancing use of the crops. All accessions are safety duplicated at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
  2. Wheat: The Crop Trust provided support to the Armenian State Agrarian University (ASAU) to regenerate, characterize and safety duplicate 142 wheat accessions with the objective of rescuing threatened diversity and enhancing use of the crops.