Russia's restrictions have jeopardized the future of farmers in Armenia.

The loss of direct access to the Russian market due to political disagreements and stricter inspections has left farmers facing the immediate threat of bankruptcy: goods that fail border inspections are returned, and local markets won't even sell them for pennies. Farmers and truck drivers report that the government's proposed support measures are insufficient.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Rosselkhoznadzor (Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) imposed temporary restrictions on the import of flowers from Armenia starting May 22, 2026, and on fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, herbs, and strawberries starting May 30. In addition, the import of all batches of Armenian mineral water "Jermuk" and a number of cognacs and wines to Russia was stopped, and the import of fish from Armenia was significantly restricted. From June 2, Rosselkhoznadzor extended the ban to fresh grapes and stone fruits, including cherries, and from June 3 - to potatoes, eggplants, as well as pome fruits and dried fruits. The ruling party attempted to minimize the damage from the Russian embargo on agricultural products through a subsidy program for farmers.

Farmers face difficulties selling their produce after Russia's restrictions

A farmer from the Ararat region, Hakob Torosyan, who exports cucumbers to Russia, spoke about the problems he encountered.  

"The truck carrying our goods went through all the tests: it was completely unloaded, weighed, reloaded, sent for inspection, and passed a phytosanitary check. And this despite the fact that we received permission in Armenia confirming that the cargo was healthy. The goods that returned and reached the market are not worth even a pittance. If even one truck enters the market, there will be stagnation, and cucumbers will cost 50 drams (US$0.13) per kilogram. "A kilogram currently costs 150-200 drams (US$0.40-0.54), but while we were growing this cucumber, we burned gas in greenhouses, bought chemicals, paid wages, and spent more. It's not created by air. You can't recoup your work at that price," he complained.

We grow tomatoes, we're banned from exporting them, so we have to sell them here, and here imported tomatoes are cheaper than our domestic ones.

Tomato growers from the village of Arshaluys in the Armavir region say that uncontrolled imports have added to the Russian bans, which are finally killing off local production.

"Our demand is to be consistent, keeping the price of imported tomatoes at 400-500 drams (US$1.08-1.36). "At the same time, when the market is oversaturated with local tomatoes, we need to impose strict restrictions to prevent people from importing them. It turns out that we grow tomatoes, we are prohibited from exporting them, we are forced to sell them here, and here imported tomatoes are cheaper than our domestic ones. The government must do something about this," Arman Karapetyan told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Strawberries can't wait at the border for weeks while officials check paperwork. Every day of downtime means millions in losses that no one will reimburse us.

Ashot Mnatsakanyan grows strawberries in 3,000-square-meter greenhouses and assesses Russian bans on the import of Armenian strawberries as a catastrophic blow to medium-sized businesses.

"These are colossal financial risks. For us, who run medium-sized greenhouses of several thousand square meters, this ban is a direct path to bankruptcy. "Strawberries can't wait at the border for weeks while officials check paperwork. Every day of downtime means millions in losses that no one will reimburse us," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

In his opinion, the domestic Armenian market simply can't handle such a volume of berries.

"Prices have already fallen below cost. And we're dependent on loans. Building and operating a 3,000-square-meter greenhouse requires enormous investments. Plus winter heating. We're in debt everywhere: to the banks for loans, to suppliers for seedlings and fertilizer. If government subsidies don't cover the actual transportation costs to Europe, or if we're not granted a deferment on macro-loan payments, we'll simply close by the end of the season." "Large companies will somehow survive, but these bans will finish us off completely," he complained.

The Voskanyan family sells strawberries on the Gyumri-Yerevan highway to offset their losses.

"These strawberries should have been on the shelves of Moscow stores or St. Petersburg stores, who knows? But now they're here on the highway. We're not complaining; sales are going well. We're asking customers to buy 3- or 5-kg buckets at a time. We'll suffer a bit, but we'll be rid of Russia for it. So, are the country's interests more important now, or is it a matter of a couple of boxes of strawberries spoiling? We've seen such losses that this is a no-brainer for us. We've lived without electricity, without water, without money since the 1990s. "We've lived, and we'll live on," Harutyun told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Drivers left without income due to restrictions imposed by Russia

Truck drivers who transport cargo also found themselves in a difficult situation.

"We're effectively out of work; we're idle. Most of us bought trucks worth at least $40,000 on credit. If we're not working, how can we pay? We're paying $1,000-$1,500 a month. Where are we going to get the money? We're not asking for support; we're asking for work," Gegham told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to him, truck drivers are being promised new sales channels.

"And they name Ukraine among these countries. "Yesterday, I was offered the chance to go to Ukraine with a truckload of strawberries. But that's ridiculous, because with my passport, which has stamps from crossing the Russian border several times a month, they won't let me into Ukraine. And they found out about it from me, were surprised, and promised to think about how to resolve the issue," he noted.

Another truck driver also complained that the government's actions were hasty.

"They make decisions too late, and that's why they're not very effective. They act in the heat of the moment. Didn't they know that Russia could ban the import of our products? They could have taken measures in advance, negotiated with other countries. While they're thinking, we're losing money," said Armen.

Farmers consider the government's assistance insufficient

The government insists on using alternative routes to the EU through Georgia, Turkey, Greece, and Bulgaria. The authorities are also proposing to use the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway, but freight carriers are calling this "impossible" for perishable fruits and vegetables due to a lack of refrigerated wagons.

According to Prime Minister Pashinyan, the first trucks carrying Armenian goods have departed for Europe.

"A number of business delegations are already working, and the first batch of roses and vegetables has been sent to Latvia and the Netherlands. Not a single product will be left behind. The EU and other markets will soon begin accepting our goods," Pashinyan told Armenian journalists on June 4.

A greenhouse owner from the village of Arshaluys calls the government's proposed assistance insufficient.

"This is very small compensation. How can I sell peppers at this price? 400 drams is not a price. What benefit do I have if I bear such expenses? "If the state wants to support us, let it buy these goods at least 50 drams below market price," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

They tell us to send flowers to the Netherlands. If I tell our partners that their shoots will grow into flowers and return to their market, they'll laugh out loud.

A rose grower thinks exporting Armenian flowers to the Netherlands is ridiculous.

"We bring shoots from the Netherlands, grow the flowers, and ship them to Russia. To give you an idea of ​​how thoroughly everything has been planned, I'll tell you that we spent six months preparing to send tulips to Russia for March 8th. We have everything in place; this has been our work for several years, and now they tell us to send flowers to the Netherlands. "If I tell our partners that their sprouts will grow into flowers and return to their market, they'll laugh out loud," said Narek, a representative of the flower-growing company.

In his opinion, the European market won't cooperate with Armenian producers in the long term.

"They're accepting our goods now because they need to distance Armenia from Russia. In a couple of months, we'll start having problems: flower standards aren't right, the roses aren't red enough, and so on. As soon as a European farmer raises the alarm, these problems will immediately surface," he concluded.

All the farmers and drivers interviewed noted that the current situation hasn't changed their political position. Some people remain against Pashinyan, while others, on the contrary, continue to support him.

The survey is not representative and reflects only the individual opinions of its participants.

Russia is introducing restrictions on imports from Armenia as Armenian political forces prepare for parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7. Meanwhile, the European Political Community summit and the Armenia-EU summit were held in Yerevan in early May. In response, Russian pro-government media accused Armenia of "betrayal" and an anti-Russian course, while Vladimir Putin noted that the Armenian authorities should decide on participation in the EU or the EAEU as soon as possible. Putin previously stated that combining Armenia's course toward rapprochement with the EU and membership in the Eurasian Economic Union is "definitionally impossible," and noted that Moscow would "like" all pro-Russian political forces to participate in the parliamentary elections in Armenia.