On July 17, 2018, the Minister of Agriculture of Armenia, Arthur Khachatryan, held a meeting with the head of EU delegation to Armenia, Petr Svitalski. During the meeting the Minister said that in the coming years government assistance for small farmers to be increased. The mechanisms for subsidizing agricultural production have been already developed. Another important components for agricultural sector development indicated by the Minister were: • process organization of high-quality products production; • structuring the value chains in agricultural production and processing; • expansion of agricultural lands and their unification, which can potentially increase their economic value. Among other priorities the Minister also mentioned development of organic agriculture, establishment of intensive gardens, implementation of modern irrigation systems and anti-hail facilities, and improvement of agricultural advisory services. Concerning livestock, Artur Khachatryan highlighted the need to implement the livestock identification program, which will ensure healthy livestock population in the country and assist in more effective management and prevention of possible diseases. During the meeting, the parties also discussed a number of issues related to agricultural insurance. The Minister informed that starting 2019 a pilot agricultural insurance program is planned to be implemented in Armavir, Ararat and Shirak regions in Armenia. AgroInsurance International LLC, in consortium with Swiss Re, is providing Technical Assistance in insurance product development and establishment of the loss adjustment system, standard operation procedures and guidelines for the Government of Armenia. Source - http://agroinsurance.com