On May 12, 2013, at 13:40-14:10, in Armavir marz, about four dozens of community farms were following the hail destroying their fields and gardens. During those 30 minutes, they were silently watching that cruel scene. Farmers were not counting the extent of the damage, but were thinking what they were going to do, how they were going to support their families or repay bank loans, debts to be given for the machinery or taken from friends, neighbors, shops. After the hail, farmers assessed the situation and realized that they had nothing to do in their gardens. Hence, they are looking for other ways to save their families from hunger.
Let’s try to understand why those communities were damaged by hail. Only some weeks ago, the 101st anti-hail station was launched in Armavir and, regional governor, Ashot Ghahramanyan, confidently stated that 90% of the area would be completely protected by hail. Accordingly, we come to two conclusions, first, the investments made in Armenia were served to launch unnecessary 200 anti-hail stations, and, second, the stations were not carried out an effective work on May 12.
Only experts can discuss the first option that, perhaps, has been done in its time.
Now let us analyze the second option. According to the experts, hail clouds came to Armavir marz through Turkey. Consequently, 70 anti-hail stations were installed along the border and 33 stations were placed in the most risky areas of the marz. 68 out of all stations is in possession of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, that manages the stations from one center. 33 anti-hail stations have been given to the communities.
Generally, anti-hail station is a tube whose lower part is filled with nitrogen; the gas gets erupted up in the sky by means of spark. Stations have management boxes where mobile SIM card is inserted and via SMS messages the number of volleys is noted. The station, receiving the message, performs the command and sends a response that the given instruction has been implemented.
On May 12, at 11:00, dark clouds were accumulated, and the villagers heard the voices of volleys of anti-hail stations. Then, rain started pouring, volleys were being continued. At around 13:00, strong cold wind started. It was not hard to conclude that the hail was growing. Anti-hail stations continued to work. At 13:25, an accident happened in electricity supply network and there was a black-out in almost 70 percent of the villages. Parallel to the black-out, all means of communications were stopped. Community governors, managing the stations, confirmed it as well; they were not far from the stations and witnessed that there was no connection.
One center management staff, being far from the stations, could not assume that the phone service was interrupted and SMS messages did not reach the addressee. At 13:40, the hail started and lasted almost 25-30 minutes. At 13:52, electricity supply was restored and late SMS messages reached anti-hail stations, so volleys re-started. It is for this reason that the angry villagers said that after the hail had finished, anti-hail stations fired volleys.
Therefore, 43 farms of Armavir marz suffered 40-100 percent losses. Villagers expressed their outrage by paralyzing the traffic in many roads. In the end, they closed the main road to Yerevan.
Thus, looking for people to blame is a secondary task. In 30 communities of the marz, vegetable-growers are deprived of their yields for this year, fruit-growers suffered losses of 100 percent for this year and 50 percent for the next year, vine-growers lost 100 percent for this year, 70 percent for the next year and 50 percent for the third year of their expected harvest.
The phenomenon completely fit the logic of the disaster. We will not be mistaken to say that country’s food security is in danger. It remains to hope that the government will offer a comprehensive program to villagers, so the latter does not have to stay hungry for 3 years until vineyards grow again. Otherwise farmers, having a great deal of debts, will emigrate or destroy their fields.