Rector of the Agrarian State University of Armenia (ASUA) Arshaluys Tarverdyan said significant achievements were recorded in Armenia’s agricultural food system over the past several years, securing 25-30% of the country’s GDP.

Around 45% of the country’s labor force is employed in agriculture, said Tarverdyan during an event dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the SAUA.

“Due to support of the Armenian President, many problems of the field are being solved, for example, rehabilitation of seed growing and irrigation system,” he said, pointing to small size of enterprises and undeveloped infrastructures as basic problems hampering the development of agriculture in Armenia.

A museum of ASUA history was opened on the occasion of the University’s anniversary.

The Agrarian State University of Armenia, one of the biggest higher educational and scientific centers, was founded in 1994 on the basis of the Armenian Agricultural and Yerevan Zootechnical and Veterinary Institutes. The University has a highly qualified professorial and pedagogical staff of 627 lecturers, 72 Doctors of Sciences and 290 Candidates of Sciences. Around 10,000 students are enrolled.