YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The 14th International Apricot Symposium was held on June 15-21 in the city of Matera, Italy on the initiative of the International Organization of Gardeners. Representatives of the RA Ministry of Agriculture also took part in it. As Samvel Avetisian, the RA Deputy Minister of Agriculture, said at the July 2 press conference, Armenian apricot took the first place with its taste properties at the exhibition organized within the framework of the symposium. At the same time it was decided that the 15th Apricot Symposium will be held in Armenia. According to S. Avetisian, there are special standards for apricot worked out in the European Union, and Armenian apricot should be brought in line with them. In the Deputy Minister's words, according to these standards, not only fruit's taste property, but also color, preservation term, fruit's size are important: Armenian apricot is inferior in that respect. The Deputy Minister said that when buying fruit Europeans first of all look at its appearance and not taste: in particular, reddish apricot is evaluated rather highly on the international market. S. Avetisian said that it is envisaged to cooperate with international centers engaged in apricot cultivation technologies before symposium's organization to find new ways of cultivation of Armenian apricot. According to the Deputy Minister, though Armenia is considered the homeland of apricot, "we do not know how to cultivate apricots today." According to him, apricot trees being high-trunk do not give a possibility for the fruit to develop proportionately, which brings to losses. And dwarf trees are planted in Europe, the height of which does not exceed 2-2.5 meters, the sun completely penetrates into the tree and the fruit develops proportionately. Besides, gardens are coated with a net there, as a result of which trees are protected from hail and frostbite. S. Avetisian said that they have already applied to UN FAO with the request of providing assistance for planting dwarf gardens and introduction of new technologies in Armenia.

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