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Heifer International Project Will Revitalize Armenia's Farms
2012-03-30 21:13:45 | | Press release
Distribution of agricultural equipment inaugurates $3.7-million rural
development effort
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 29, 2012) - Heifer International Armenia is
distributing agricultural equipment to small farmers, giving them the
means to stay on their land and improve their livelihoods. It's the
first part of the Community Agricultural Resource Management and
Competitiveness (CARMAC) project, a partnership with the World Bank
and Armenia's Ministry of Agriculture.
CARMAC's objective is to reverse environmental damage caused by
unsustainable grazing, increase the economic viability of small farms
through infrastructure improvements, and increase productivity to gain
access to more markets. The $22.7 million project aims to assist
78,000 people. CARMAC has a $10.1 million agricultural component, with
Heifer providing $3.7 million. Heifer International Armenia has
already distributed three tractors and five balers to several farming
cooperatives, enabling the farmers to make the best use of their land
and provide better fodder for livestock.
Heifer International Armenia has worked with more than 8,000 Armenian
families in the past 11 years, building up family farms through gifts
of cattle, buffalos, pigs, chickens, rabbits, sheep, bees, worms, tree
seedlings and organic produce. The projects first create food security
for the participating families, and then surplus product is sold to
earn money for education, medical care and other necessities.
Gagik Khachatryan, director of the Agriculture Project Implementation
Unit at the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture, presented the baling
equipment. Khachatryan said that without Heifer's contribution, it
would have been impossible to ensure rural community engagement and
successfully realize the CARMAC project.
By the end of the project, about 200 pieces of agricultural equipment
are expected to be placed within 55 rural communities in Armenia. The
modern equipment, along with more careful use of pastures, will boost
overall productivity and efficiency of small livestock farms. This
will help position local producers to fill Armenia's growing domestic
dairy need and to become more competitive regionally.
As the project work begins, its significance for rural communities is
increasingly evident. During previous decades, rural unemployment in
Armenia has forced many people (mostly men) to leave the country to
find jobs abroad. CARMAC is designed to bring back hope to farming
communities, providing rural families with a chance to stay together
and build their future in their homeland.
About Heifer International:
Heifer's mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the
Earth. Since 1944, Heifer International has provided livestock and
environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of
those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income.
Heifer is currently working in 40 countries, including the United
States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant. For
more information, visit www.heifer.org 1-800-696-1918.
News from Armenia and Diaspora - Noyan Tapan
2012-03-30 21:13:45 | | Press release
Distribution of agricultural equipment inaugurates $3.7-million rural
development effort
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 29, 2012) - Heifer International Armenia is
distributing agricultural equipment to small farmers, giving them the
means to stay on their land and improve their livelihoods. It's the
first part of the Community Agricultural Resource Management and
Competitiveness (CARMAC) project, a partnership with the World Bank
and Armenia's Ministry of Agriculture.
CARMAC's objective is to reverse environmental damage caused by
unsustainable grazing, increase the economic viability of small farms
through infrastructure improvements, and increase productivity to gain
access to more markets. The $22.7 million project aims to assist
78,000 people. CARMAC has a $10.1 million agricultural component, with
Heifer providing $3.7 million. Heifer International Armenia has
already distributed three tractors and five balers to several farming
cooperatives, enabling the farmers to make the best use of their land
and provide better fodder for livestock.
Heifer International Armenia has worked with more than 8,000 Armenian
families in the past 11 years, building up family farms through gifts
of cattle, buffalos, pigs, chickens, rabbits, sheep, bees, worms, tree
seedlings and organic produce. The projects first create food security
for the participating families, and then surplus product is sold to
earn money for education, medical care and other necessities.
Gagik Khachatryan, director of the Agriculture Project Implementation
Unit at the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture, presented the baling
equipment. Khachatryan said that without Heifer's contribution, it
would have been impossible to ensure rural community engagement and
successfully realize the CARMAC project.
By the end of the project, about 200 pieces of agricultural equipment
are expected to be placed within 55 rural communities in Armenia. The
modern equipment, along with more careful use of pastures, will boost
overall productivity and efficiency of small livestock farms. This
will help position local producers to fill Armenia's growing domestic
dairy need and to become more competitive regionally.
As the project work begins, its significance for rural communities is
increasingly evident. During previous decades, rural unemployment in
Armenia has forced many people (mostly men) to leave the country to
find jobs abroad. CARMAC is designed to bring back hope to farming
communities, providing rural families with a chance to stay together
and build their future in their homeland.
About Heifer International:
Heifer's mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the
Earth. Since 1944, Heifer International has provided livestock and
environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of
those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income.
Heifer is currently working in 40 countries, including the United
States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant. For
more information, visit www.heifer.org 1-800-696-1918.
News from Armenia and Diaspora - Noyan Tapan