Head of Union of Banks comments on why agricultural credit interest rates are so high
The high agricultural credit interest rates are affected by several factors, Chairman of the Union of Banks of Armenia, Ashot Osipyan said at a discussion on the microeconomic situation and agricultural problems in Armenia.
Note that in Armenia, agricultural credit interest rates amount to 17-19 percent and above, even higher than the industrial credit interest rates.
“Administrative expenses, resources and risks are assessed when establishing agricultural credit interest rates. Unlike other sectors, there are risks in agriculture that the banks are not able to assess, for instance, climate risks. Insurance mechanisms are used for this purpose. The lack of infrastructure also increases the risks, with agricultural equipment not being pawned. Realization of the pawn is also a problem. Solving these problems would facilitate the agricultural credit system,” according to A. Osipyan.