New California Media, CA
Pacific News Service, CA
Aug 28 2005

Bikers Traverse Armenia to Aid Farmers

Asbarez Armenian Daily, News Report, Staff, Aug 28, 2005

FRESNO–Six Armenians from the United States left for Armenia and
Mountainous Karabagh Republic on August 20 to bike through the
countryside as a part of the Armenian Technology Group’s (ATG) effort
to promote agrotourism there.

The Fresno, California based ATG was formed in 1989 to assist the
Armenian people to become self-sufficient in food production. Much of
its work has revolved around the seed multiplication program, which
aims to make high-quality seeds available to Armenian grain farmers.
ATG agronomists in Armenia have spent the last few years developing
seed varieties that will yield the highest possible output with the
least amount of agricultural inputs and expense. In addition, ATG
efforts to adapt and maintain harvesting equipment have allowed
Armenian farmers to reap significantly larger crops.

ATG’s executive director, Varoujan Der Simonian said that the recent
effort was launched when Vatche Soghomonian embarked on a marathon
bicycle ride last year that took him nearly 700 kilometers across the
mountains and plains of Armenia. The ride played a critical role in
raising the funds to purchase four milk-cooling tanks to serve as
storage for rural farmers, allowing their surplus milk to be kept
fresh and to be sold to dairy processors.

This year, ATG hopes that media coverage of the Bike-a-Thon will
bring rural Armenia into the spotlight, showing the great potential
of the countryside. The concept of agrotourism is a direct expansion
of ecotourism, which encourages visitors to experience agricultural
life first hand, and aims to improve the life of farmers.

In 1999, Soghomonian rode from Stepanakert to Yerevan to give a
jump-start to the ATG-proposed grape nursery in Khramort, a village
in Karabagh ravaged by war. ATG estimates that every dollar invested
in the nursery increases local income 14-fold. Fifty-three families
are now employed by the nursery, and hundreds of acres of vineyards
in Karabagh are being rejuvenated yearly with young, disease-free
grapevines.

This year’s Bike-a-Thon has the specific goal of raising the funds
needed to train professional veterinarians who will work with the
Central Diagnostic Lab to help increase farm production and income,
ensure that milk and dairy products are safe for consumption. The
purpose of the Lab is to ensure that Armenia’s rural farming
operations can minimize the spread of a wide range of diseases
including tuberculosis, brucellosis, salmonella, anthrax and ecoli.
“Rural economic development in Armenia is vital to the future of the
country. We sincerely appreciate those who participate in helping us
attain our mutual goal,” said Der Simonian.

Soghomonian, who led the first two cycling events and recently
qualified for the Tour de France, will lead the other riders from
Yerevan, then peddle towards Khor Virab, and then on to Noravank.
They will then journey to Yeghegnatsor and through Areni wine
country, stopping to have a taste of Armenia’s wines. The tour will
continue to Sisian, and then Goris, followed by a stop at Khapan, and
onward to Meghri. The bikers will pass through Karabagh, visiting
Shushi and Stepanakert. They will visit the ATG wine grape nursery in
Khramort, funded by diaspora Armenians, and ride to the ancient
Gantzasar monastery. The tour will then climb from Yeghegnatsor to
Martuni, and along Lake Sevan, then continuing on to Oshagan,
Sardarabad, and finally visit Echmiadzin before returning to Yerevan.