Aleksan Petrosian proposes providing pecuniary aid to farmers

The package of credit obligations of 46 communities hit by the hailstorm in Armavir province is 9 million AMD at the average rate of 24%, parliamentary deputy Aleksan Petrosian said at the meeting with reporters today.

In his words, when a farmer has to feed his children, it is of no importance to him if the interest rate of a loan is 20% or 30%.

“Banks say there is a great demand for loans. So what? If banks baked bread, what price would they ask?” Petrosian noted.

The deputy considered such high interest rates unacceptable, noting that credits should be given to farmers at an interest rate of 6-10%.

“It is because of the high interest rates that the farmers of hailstorm-hit villages have no savings today,” he said.

He underlined the necessity of applying an individual approach to farmers: among them are people who did not receive credits so pecuniary aid instead of seeds can be given to them.

“The sums allocated by the state for seeds or diesel fuel can be provided directly to farmers who will decide how to spend the money. This approach is more reasonable,” Aleksan Petrosian said.