YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the data on customs declarations and trade conducted by citizens, in the second quarter of 2006, foodstuffs accounted for 16.1% of the goods imported into Armenia (18.1% in the second quarter of 2005) and for 11% of goods exported from the country (12% in the same quarter of 2005). This is said in the RA National Statistical Service's Report on Food Safety and Poverty, according to which the foreign trade turnover of foodstuffs in the period under review grew by 7.5% compared with the same period of last year and made 113 mln USD, with food imports making 85.2 mln USD, and exports - 27.8 mln USD. Out of the main foodstuffs, poultry imports declined 8.6fold to 500 tons in the second quarter of 2006 compared with the same period of last year, flour imports - twofold to 200 tons, sugar imports declined by 36.5% to 21.4 thousand tons, milk imports - by 35.4% to 800 tons, butter imports - by 24.5% to a thousand tons, and imports of macaroni - by 0.8% to 900 tons. Instead, there was a growth in imports of such products as vegetable oil (59.7%), cheese (40.5%), vegetables (37.4%), pork (30.7%), beef (24.4%), rice (14.8%), fruit (9.9%) and wheat (9.6%). Fruit exports accounted for a large share of food exports. Thus, in the second quarter of 2006, 4.3 thousand tons of fruit was exported, which exceeds 3.2fold the index of the same period of last year. There was also a growth in exports of natural and mineral waters (77%) and eggs (37.3%). At the same time, there was a decline in exports of cheese (55.3%), wines (47.8%) and brandies (36.1%).

---