Armenian Grape Farmers Continue Fruitlessly to Demand Pay for Last Year’s Produce

A group of grape farmers from the village of Kaghtrashen in Armenia’s Ararat province – who after an unusually rich harvest in the fall of 2015 had to sell their grapes to the local Vinar winery for as little as 40 drams per kilogram – gathered yet again on Thursday outside the government offices in Yerevan to demand payment for last year’s produce. Newly-appointed agriculture minister Ignati Arakelyan had previously promised the villagers that they would get the money by December 1, but the winegrowers insist that they are yet to receive anything.

“It’s December 8, and no one has given us any money. They have been lying to us for a year and a half, so from now on we won’t believe anything they say. What we want now is a meeting with prime minister [Karen Karapetyan] who’ll give us an exact answer when we’ll finally be paid our money,” farmer Zorik Smbatyan told an Epress.am reporter.

Deputy agriculture minister Robert Makaryan came out to speak with the protesters and assured them that negotiations were currently underway to ensure that the farmers get paid promptly. “The talks with Vinar have failed, so we’re now negotiating with Proshyan [brandy factory]. We intend to give a loan to Proshyan, which will in turn buy Vinar’s liquor, and [Vinar co-owner] Avet Galstyan will pay you your money. Proshyan has already taken samples of their alcohol, and we’ll soon find out about their decision. In order not to lose time, we have been preparing loan documents, and you will receive your money within this month,” Makaryan said.

The deputy minister’s words, however, did not inspire confidence in the winegrowers, who went on to claim that Avet Galstyan had bribed government officials to make sure that they “lie for his sake.”

“Avo has bribed you and your boss, too! Are you saying you’ve never taken bribes? We’re only demanding our money, nothing else; just give us our money! We’re telling you that Avet has been lying to us for over a year, and you take no steps to hold him responsible for this. What else should we think?” winegrower Vazgen Petrosyan demanded of Makaryan.

Unconvinced by the deputy minister’s promises that the debt would be repaid by the end of December, the protesters continued to demand a meeting with the prime minister. One of the farmers even attempted to break into the main government building but was prevented from doing so by law enforcement officers. Before ending the demonstration, the farmers promised to resort to “extreme measures” in case the issue was not resolved within a few days.