350,000 AMD per hectare in compensation is "ridiculous", argue villagers Residents of the village of Gai, Armavir Marz, and Regional Governor Ashot Ghahramanyan spent one hour discussing government plans to destroy three hectares of grapevines. The government says the vines have been infected with philoxeria, or grape louse. The villagers are protesting the government’s compensation offer of 350,000 AMD per hectare. They also claim that the infestation is a hoax concocted to allow certain government officials to enlarge their land holdings in the vicinity. Gai village resident Hovhannes Khachikyan told Hetq that the sides agreed to have specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture visit the site for additional testing. "If the experts claim that the vines must be destroyed we will, as promised, take our grievances to Yerevan and protest outside the Government Building," said Mr. Khachikyan. It appears that Gai Mayor Seyran Markosyan prefers not to enter the fray. However, according to our information, higher-ups have urges the mayor not to aid the villagers in their protest action and to take steps to convince them to accept the compensation offered.