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What are the key environmental and social issues that can be addressed by establishment of intensive orchards? How to establish them, and what are their advantages? What are the main environmental challenges that also affect agriculture? We seek the answers to these questions in Converse Bank, which offers a wide range of financing tools in the field of agriculture.

- Land degradation and desertification represent a serious environmental challenge in the world, including in Armenia. In 2021, scarcity of irrigation water was also added to the known challenges, which may eventually lead to a reduction in cultivated land areas. In this situation, what can farmers do or people who want to engage in agriculture?

- The globally acknowledged option is to shift to intensive agriculture, in this case - by establishment of intensive orchards. Unlike traditional tree species, dwarf trees are not very tall, do not have a deep root system, so they are irrigated with a drip irrigation network. Notably, in Israel, after the country implemented this system, it was possible to reduce the area of desertified or desert lands and achieve agricultural development.

- What are the advantages of this system?

- Installation of drip irrigation systems allows you to address several problems at once. First, according to various estimates, water consumption is reduced by up to 3 times, which also allows saving financial resources. On the other hand, it is possible to control the use of fertilizers and pesticides and make their supply more targeted, and weeds grow worse in dry soil. Finally, the use of drip irrigation system reduces water evaporation, surface runoff, prevents the penetration of water into the lower layers of the soil (water is supplied directly to the root system of the plant), which ensures up to 95% efficiency

- When do intensive orchards start to yield?

- Intensive orchards yield earlier than the traditional ones. If properly cultivated, it achieves self-sufficiency level in the third year after harvest. By the way, in this case, the installation of hail protection nets is also an important factor, due to which the crop loss due to unfavorable weather conditions is drastically less.

- Where to apply, if you want to establish an intensive orchard?

- Converse Bank offers various products targeted at agriculture financing, including the establishment of intensive orchards and drip irrigation networks, both with own resources and under various government programs. In addition, the interest rate on some loans is fully reimbursed by the state. Relevant products of the bank are available here.

The oversight of the bank is exercised by the Central Bank.