Armenian Growers Strangling under Russian Ban

An agent of Rosselkhoznadzor, that regulates food and other products in Russia, inspects a shipment of flowers.
Photo: Sophia Sandurskaya / Moskva News Agency

“Geghetsik Varder” (Beautiful Roses) in Mayisyan, Armenia, may soon close since Russian banned Armenian imports of flowers in May. Photo: Armenian Weekly

As Armenia builds closer relations with the EU, Russia retaliates, withdrawing its ambassador and banning Armenian flowers.

Russian authorities destroyed 40,000 roses coming from Belarus earlier this week, claiming that the flowers had originated in Armenia and lacked “the required phytosanitary certificates or shipping documents.” According to JAM, reporting on the flora-cide,  documentation identified the shipment as  “non-alcoholic carbonated energy drinks. However, an inspection found 39,200 roses instead.” Officials from Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian  agency that regulates food safety, intercepted and destroyed them.

Not missing a beat, Russia then banned floral imports from Iran, claiming that Iran, too, is passing along Armenian flowers.

Siranush Adamyan’s story on civilnet provides needed grounding amid this flurry of penalties.

“The Russian authorities announced the import restrictions on May 21, saying inspections had identified quarantine pests in flower shipments.” Across Armenia, the ban is convulsing the lives of growers and traders. “Armenia exported more than 46 million flowers to Russia in 2025, with the country’s floriculture industry generating around $50 million in exports, almost all of them destined for the Russian market.”

Tsolak Chadryan operates a greenhouse Gyumri and is struggling to adjust to a European market for his flowers since the Russian ban.
Photo: Civilnet

Adamyan profiles grower Tsolak Chadryan, whose eight-year-old business struggles to survive.  Chadryan is peddling fast to find buyers in Europe, but it’s tough. It takes twice as long for his flowers to get to European markets — not good for perishables. Further logistical complications have tripled his transport costs:

“When we exported to Russia, we shipped directly to a wholesaler who then distributed the flowers to retailers. The logistics were much faster and cheaper,” Chadryan said. “Europe doesn’t work that way. The flowers must first reach a flower exchange before they can be sold. A truck that cost us $2,000-$3,000 to send to Russia now costs $8,000-$9,000 to send to Europe.”

Is it any coincidence that Russia’s crackdown coincides with Armenia’s rapprochement with the European Union?

An Armenia-EU summit took place in early May, “which Brussels hailed as a ‘leap forward’ in ties.” That leaping tie was followed May 21 by considerable unraveling: the Russian ban on Armenian flowers, as well its alcohol, fruits, vegetables, mineral water, and fish. In late May, Russia withdrew its ambassador from Yerevan, the capital, and Vladimir Putin pointed, menacingly, to a “Ukrainian scenario”: Moscow’s attack on Kyiv began after Ukraine initiated closer ties to the EU.

Meanwhile, grower Chadryan, and many others, are desperate for other markets: “We’re trying to export to Romania. We’ve already sent two shipments, and we’re also working with Bulgaria,” Chadryan said.

“The prices are much lower than in Russia, but at least they are an alternative. We should have been thinking about this years ago because we knew where things were heading.”

Even though the Armenian state has begun to subsidize new paths to export (for example,  a very recent agreement with UAE), returns to flower farmers have not materialized. Says Chadryan, “The money goes to the exporting company…yet I’m the one who suffered the losses.”

This is the latest example of how the floral trade often serves as bellwether of politics. And it’s those who actually make things, raise animals and cultivate plants who are most at the mercy of their governments.

Just yesterday Russian banned Armenian dairy products.