Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Heifer International Project Will Revitalize Armenia's Farms

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Heifer International Project Will Revitalize Armenia's Farms

    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

Working...
X