Combination of Armenian climate conditions and Dutch state-of-the-art technologies create excellent preconditions for developing greenhouses and entering foreign market. These preconditions have laid the ground for the launch of an investment program on the establishment of massive greenhouses in Armenia. For this purpose, undeveloped lands will be allocated in various regions of the Republic with a total area of 2 000 hectares.

The Armenian Harvest Promotion Centre (AHPC) CJSC has initiated the program. According to estimates, approximately 300 000 - 350 000 tons of vegetables can be grown annually in 500 ha heated greenhouses, and 75 000 tons – in 1500 ha unheated polycarbonate greenhouses mainly for the purpose of supplying vegetables to Russian trade networks all year round.

In early May, the RA Government has approved the proposal of the Yerevan Municipality to alienate 63 ha land in the vicinity of Noragavit district. The highly profitable program will soon be implemented in this area during the upcoming months. Foreign advanced technologies will allow the crops’ average productivity to reach 60-70 kg / m2 here.

The AHPC conducts negotiations with the investors who have expressed interest in buying land areas for the purpose of constructing greenhouses. The program initiators will provide the investors with infrastructures supplying thermal and electric energy, gas and water, as well as will assist in receiving loans.

“This is an unprecedented large-scale program which will promote the development of the infrastructures, transportation channels, as well as the establishment of powerful cool storage facilities. After the program on the construction of greenhouses in the vicinity of Noragavit district, 8-10 greenhouse zones will be established in different regions of the Republic with a total area of 500 hectares, and, in the meantime, unheated polyethylene greenhouses will be constructed in 1500 ha land area,” said Aleksan Arakelyan, the Investment Director at the Armenian Harvest Promotion Centre CJSC.

According to his estimations, the first crop will be harvested in 2013.

The Armenian Harvest Promotion Centre CJSC was established in 2011. It is a public-private partnership where 49% of the shares are held by Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development National Center established by the RA Government, and the rest 51% is owned by private sector.