On April 13, 2023, RA Government approved the program for the development of industrial crab farming in the Republic of Armenia for 2024-2026. According to the program, it is planned to establish 18 modern crab farming complexes in the republic, 12 small and 3 medium and large. Within the framework of the project, the entrepreneurs will be compensated in the amount of 50% of the investments made. The total amount to be compensated is 897 million AMD, for which 299 million AMD will be allocated annually from RA state budget for 2024, 2025 and 2026.
It is expected that 162 tons of crayfish will be produced annually in the republic, or an additional gross product of 1 billion 620 million will be obtained annually. According to the authors of the project, thanks to the project, the problem of preservation of natural crayfish resources will be solved, which will allow to restore the once rich crayfish population over time.
In the complexes, it is planned to breed Australian red crab, which, unlike other species, is relatively large, has an attractive product appearance, pleasant taste and high growth intensity.
The author of the project is the Ministry of Economy. During the executive session, RA Deputy Minister of Economy Narek Teryan noted, "There was a time when about 3,000 tons of crayfish were caught annually in Armenia, out of which about 2,000 tons were exported. However, the unregulated and uncontrolled fishing of crayfish, especially from Lake Sevan, led to a sharp decrease in its stocks.”
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted that this program of industrial crayfish breeding is closely related to the fish industry and will also contribute to the increase in the productivity of fish farms.
April 14, 2023 at 15:36