Epress.am News from Armenia
Yerevan – Vanadzor highway is blocked along the line of Alagyaz village, today from 10:00. By this means the villagers voice their protest in regards to the overnight plunge in milk prices from 180 to 100 – 120 AMD. The journalist of Epress.am arrived on the scene to talk with the villagers who demand a meeting either with the Marzpet of Aragatsotn Province (Marz) or with a representative from the Ministry of Agriculture.
Predominantly Yazidi population of this area is mainly involved in cattle breeding with sales being their main source of income.
In their interview, the villagers told us that some people take their milk for the resale to different enterprises.
As the diary producers explained them yesterday, the decline in prices has to do with the change of the Government. Yet the villagers claim such reasoning to be false as it has just been two days since the change happened.
“Milk nowadays happen to be cheaper than bottled water”, – the villagers say. In their words, they have to sell 100 liters of milk to be able to buy one sack of flour.
The people say they have to be engaged in cattle breeding all day long and they still cannot lift their credit obligations.
“We have to pay the loans, how can we do that? The child says, “I need this or that at school”, we reply, “Hash, the cow is hungry…”. We end up caring for the cows more than for the children”, – said a man at the protest. The protesters were promised the Minister of Agriculture Ignati Arakelyan would meet them at 15:00.