Armenian greenhouse flower industry eyes EU market

Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan has said that the quality of flowers produced in modern greenhouse farms operating in Armenia meets high international standards and can be competitive in the European market.

Commenting on restrictions imposed by Russia on the import of Armenian flower products, the minister noted that part of Armenia’s greenhouse farms are technologically comparable to the best farms in other Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries.

“Other EAEU countries would truly like to have the modern technologies that a significant portion of greenhouses in Armenia possess,” Papoyan said at a press briefing.

According to him, such high-quality products make it possible to export not only to Russia but also to European Union countries and the United States.

“We are now also discussing mechanisms, for example, for entering the EU market with roses, because in fact the quality of the roses produced in greenhouses using ultra-modern technologies is sold at the European Union auction—on the auction platform operating in the Netherlands. In other words, we are already able to provide the highest quality of Dutch roses,” the minister noted.

According to Papoyan, the government is discussing a number of support mechanisms with businesses, including compensation for transportation costs and expenses related to intellectual property rights.

He clarified that when exporting flowers to the European Union, it is also necessary to pay for the copyright of the specific variety.

Referring to the restrictions imposed by Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia’s state agricultural watchdog, on the import of Armenian flower products, the minister noted that the body responsible for phytosanitary control is the Food Safety Inspection Body, while the Ministry of Economy is responsible for coordinating related matters.

Papoyan also expressed his confidence that the relations between Armenia and Russia continue to remain partnership-based.

“Our relations with the Russian Federation are actually very good. The tensions reported in the media are far from the reality,” the minister said.

Earlier, Russia’s Rosselkhoznadzor announced that from May 22, temporary restrictions would be imposed on the import of flower products from Armenia. According to the service, the restrictions will remain in effect until inspections of Armenian greenhouses are completed and the results analyzed.

The Russian side stated that the decision was made to ensure plant sanitary safety. According to the report, in 2025, 135 cases of quarantine pests were detected in 96.2 million flower products imported from Armenia, accounting for 77% of all such cases recorded during the year.