YEREVAN—Communities targeted by a $22.7 million project in rural Armenia have seen a 25 percent increase in milk productivity, as reported by local cooperatives and the Armenian government. This improvement to rural livelihoods represents an immediate and substantial benefit to the Armenian people.
Heifer International Armenia is supporting the revitalization of Armenian agriculture through the Community Agricultural Resource Management and Competitiveness (CARMAC) project. Less than one year after the project began, it has already achieved solid results, reinforcing the initial expectations of CARMAC to meet the needs of smallholder farmers.
As reported by pasture-user cooperatives and the Project Implementation Unit of the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture, in the communities where these interventions are completed, there has been a 25 percent increase in milk productivity recorded during the lactation period. This has great impact on the lives of the farmers and their families.
Forty-nine communities have already benefited from the project. With the help of partner organizations, there has been a multitude of pasture infrastructure-improvement activities—like road improvement and the installation of watering points for animals in remote pastures.
Within the CARMAC project, Heifer Armenia helps to organize and strengthen the cooperatives and provides agricultural equipment. Since the project’s inception, 33 cooperatives have been created and have received 23 units of agricultural equipment, including 12 tractors and supplementary equipment.
The objective of the CARMAC project 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 $23.33 million project, run by the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture and funded mainly by the World Bank, aims to assist 78,000 people in 55 mountainous communities in six marzes of Armenia. CARMAC has a $10.1 million agricultural component, with Heifer providing $3.7 million. Heifer Armenia has already distributed equipment to several farming cooperatives, enabling farmers to make the best use of their land and provide better fodder for livestock.
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/armenia or call 0037410 208301.
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