Overview: Artsakh’s agriculture suffered severely from the 2020 war. According to the Minister of Finance and Economy of Artsakh, Vahram Baghdasaryan, nearly 75% of Artsakh’s arable lands, 85% of pastures, and nearly 90% of irrigated agricultural areas are now occupied by Azerbaijan. Furthermore, the number of livestock was reduced by over 50%. As a result, in 2021 agricultural output plummeted by 51.1% compared to 2020.
Solutions: Focus on developing more advanced and efficient agriculture that will compensate for the lost land.
Greenhouses in Artsakh could reduce the number of crops that fail due to unfavorable weather. The pros of a greenhouse are that sunlight is magnified, plants are protected from the cold, and plants are protected from pests/animals that might destroy the crops. In addition, greenhouses allow for indoor vertical farming which reduces the amount of land needed to grow plants.
Another solution for strengthening Artsakh’s agriculture is to fund digital resources such as educational movies, webinars, remote consulting, where farmers will be taught how to farm more efficiently. The advantage of the digital resources is that it can be replayed at no additional cost providing knowledge and ongoing education to the farmers.
To make the most of Artskakh’s reduced territory, the land should be made arable or more fertile by building additional groundwater wells and implementing drip irrigation. The wells installed irrigated from 15 to 25 hectares of land. Also, farmers can be encouraged to cultivate more high-revenue crops.