ARMENIAN FARMERS TO BE TRAINED UNDER U.S. AID PROGRAM
By Shakeh Avoyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Aug 15 2007
A local office overseeing the implementation of a multimillion
U.S. aid package has completed the selection of rural communities
whose farmers will be trained in how to manage their agribusinesses
in a more efficient way.
The Millennium Challenge Account – Armenia (MCA-Armenia) on Wednesday
selected the timing during which villages will participate in the
training component of its Water-to-Market Activity.
The Water-to-Market Activity, implemented by ACDI/VOCA, Arcadis
Euroconsult, and their local partner VISTAA Plus, focuses primarily
on providing training to help farmers transition to more profitable,
market-oriented agriculture. The training programs within this activity
will prepare 60,000 farmers over a period of five years.
The training program is part of the $236 million Compact that the
Armenian government signed with the U.S. Government’s Millennium
Challenge Corporation in March 2006
U.S. Charge d’Affaires Rudolf Perina said the MCA-Armenia has the
goal of reducing poverty in rural communities through ensuring a
stable economic growth.
"Armenia plans to achieve this goal through a five-year program of
strategic investments in rural roads, irrigation infrastructure and
technical and financial assistance to improve the supply of water
and to support farmers," Perina said in his remarks.
Villages to be provided with training in the second, third, fourth
and fifth year of the program were grouped by regions and the Water
User Associations in which they are members. A total of 120 village
clusters — usually one, two or three villages grouped together based
on geography and agricultural conditions — were selected for year
2008, 77 for years 2009 and 2010, and 80 for 2011. A total of 69
village clusters were included in the pilot phase. An additional 82
village clusters have been identified as currently having inadequate
water. They are expected to be become eligible as water improves
through irrigation rehabilitation efforts.
To ensure fairness and transparency, random selection of the
communities was determined to be the best method.
Deputy Minister of Local Government Vache Terterian expressed his
satisfaction with the selection process, which he described as
transparent.
"It is a normal modern way of selection. It is important that all
communities are clustered primarily based on certain criteria,"
he said.
Representatives of village communities attending the selection process
expressed their satisfaction as well.
However, Farmers’ Movement NGO president Sargis Sedrakian thinks
villagers need more tangible assistance than trainings today.
"Villagers are tired of advice and trainings, they want concrete
assistance in the form of technical means and equipment," he said.
"Training is also important, but there are many problems that come
first."
Sedrakian fears the Millennium Challenge funds will be wastes or at
best will benefit the local ‘feudalists’.
Vanik Soghomonian, one of the many farmers selected for the training,
admits he is a feudalist. "But only if a feudalist means a businessman
who creates something and provides people with well-paid jobs,"
he explains.