Monday, September 14 2020 20:29

ArmInfo.During the period of the state of emergency declared in the country due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Armenia significantly increased imports of wheat, barley and buckwheat.

Thus, according to the data of the Customs Service, in the first half  of 2020 the country increased the import of buckwheat by 30.2%,  increasing the volume to 32.7 thousand tons. At the same time, the  customs value increased by 24.2%, exceeding $ 6 million. The lion's  share of buckwheat imported to Armenia (97.7%) falls on the Russian  market, the volume of which increased by 47% over the reporting  period. A very small amount of buckwheat is supplied from the  Georgian market (2%), Belarusian (0.1%), Hungarian, Turkish, South  African, Slovak, and American markets.

During the reporting period, Armenia also increased the supply of  wheat - by 15.4% - to 83.8 thousand tons, demonstrating growth in  value terms- by 7% - to $ 16.9 million. The main importer of wheat  was the Russian Federation (99.3%), the remaining meager volume was  distributed between Georgia (0.6%) and Belarus (0.1%).

An upward trend was also registered for barley, the import volumes of  which in the first half of the year increased by 69.4%, amounting to  9.6 thousand tons. The customs value of barley increased by 31.3% to  $ 1.4 million. The main import market (99.9%) is the Russian  Federation, and only 0.1% falls on the Georgian market.

At the same time, according to customs data, the import of rice to  Armenia decreased by 4.6% to 6.3 thousand tons, with an increase in  customs value by 21.5%, exceeding $ 4 million. The predominant part  of rice is supplied to the Armenian market from Thailand (54.6%),  Pakistan (23.1%), RF (11.4%), India (8.8%), as well as from Vietnam,  Italy, Egypt, Libya, Germany, Belgium, France.  Import of wheat flour  to Armenia also decreased - by 25.7% - to 8.2 thousand tons. In value  terms, imported wheat flour showed a decline of 29.1% to $ 2.2  million. The Russian Federation (99.8%) was the main importer of  wheat flour to Armenia, and the remaining volume was distributed  among Italy, Belarus, France, Finland, Germany.  According to the RA  Statistical Committee, during the reporting period Armenia itself  increased the production of wheat flour by 32.6% to 94.5 thousand  tons.

To recall, in order to minimize the negative economic consequences of  the spread of COVID-19, to prevent a shortage of socially significant  goods in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the EEC  Council on April 3 approved the list of critical imports. In respect  of them, a tariff preference is provided in the form of exemption  from import customs duties when imported into the EAEU states from  April 1 to June 30, 2020 inclusive>. The list includes a number of  agricultural and food products (potatoes, onions, garlic, cabbage,  carrots, peppers, rye, rice, buckwheat, juices and ready-made  products for baby food), medicines and medical products (endoscopes,  non-contact thermometers, disposable pipettes , mobile disinfection  units).

It should be noted that, according to previously available data, the  dominant position in the wheat and flour market is occupied by the  Alex-Grig company (owned by the family of the Armenian oligarch  Samvel Aleksanyan), which accounts for over 42% of the market, and  Manana Grain is also a major player - over 36%. Thus, "Alex-Grig" and  "Manana Grain" provide about 80% of the domestic market of Armenia.   "Manana Grain" LLC is also one of the largest importers of grains to  Armenia (over 34% of the market).