Farmers demand solution of grape purchase issue, agreed to wait till September 20

Representative from Samvel Alexanyan’s plant responded to the farmers protesting from early morning today that they will tell grape purchase price after September 20.

The residents of Shahumyan and nearby villages of Armenia’s Ararat region are carrying out protest action complaining of grape purchase issue.

“Now I stated that if the issue will not be settled by 12 p.m. tomorrow, we will fight. Everything will be under control, if the government will not clearly respond to us, tomorrow we will raise political issues,” one of the farmers said.

He stressed that for Armenia grape is oil, strategic raw material.

“The plants are not ready to accept grape explaining with big harvest and lack of containers,” the farmer said.

Another farmer who went to the plant to negotiate said they accept the technical sort with 135 AMD per kilo.

“As for good sort, they refused to say a price, stating that they will do it after September 20,” he said.

The farmers though stated that 135 AMD is not beneficial for them.

“If they do not answer us, we will demand government’s resignation,” one of the protestors said.

Head of Artashat police department urged the villagers to open the road, convincing that the issue will be settled after September 20.

Finally the protestors agreed to wait till September 20.