Armenia negotiating with World Bank to prolong agricultural resource management program

YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. The World Bank’s program Community Agricultural Resource Management and Competitiveness is being successfully implemented in Armenia, and Armenia is negotiating now with the World Bank on prolongation of this program, said Gagik Khachatryan, the head of the unit in charge of implementation of the WB agricultural programs.   

The total cost of the 2011-2015 program is $21.3 million, of which $16 million is the WB-extended loan, $3.5 million is the Armenian government’s co-financing, and $1.8 beneficiaries’.   

The aim of the program is to enhance productivity and stability of cattle-breeding farms in 55 communities of Armenia’s six provinces – Shirak, Lori, Tavush, Aragatsotn, Gegharkunik and Syunik. 

“The program is highly demanded, and many communities want to be involved in it,” Khachatryan said adding that expansion of this program across the country will have favorable impacts on development of cattle-breeding industry in Armenia. 

He said that 250,000 of the country’s 350,000 farms engage in breeding cattle, and they need assistance.

In his words, this industry’s potential is used partially, especially pastures. 

Khachatryan said that pastures constitute one third of the country’s whole land, i.e. 1 million 300,000 hectares and these areas should be used fully. 

He also said that pastures degrade for they are left idle and added that remote pastures remained unused because of the lack of drinking water for cattle there.  

Khachatrayn said $6.2 million was spent under the program in 2012 and $3.9 million is planned to be spent in 2013. 

The program implies artificial insemination of cows as well as construction of special water canals on pastures, special centers for collecting milk and fodder reservoirs.  

According to Armenian Agriculture Ministry, there are 590,000 cows, 598,000 sheep and goats and 108,000 pigs in the country. -0-