U.S. AMBASSADOR VISITS ARZNI-SHAMIRAM MAIN CANAL REHABILITATION SITE

NOYAN TAPAN
SEPTEMBER 16, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
Ms. Marie Yovanovitch, RA Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of
Territorial Administration Armen Gevorgian, Minister of Agriculture
Gerasim Alaverdian accompanied by Governor of Aragatsotn marz
(province) Sargis Sahakian and Governor of Kotayk marz Kovalenko
Shahgeldian visited on September 16 Arzni-Shamiram main canal
being reconstructed under the Millennium Challenge Account-Armenia
(MCA-Armenia) Program.

Arzni-Shamiram canal is one of the six main canals in Armenia to be
reconstructed under "Irrigated Agriculture" component of the program.

Then they went to Karb community in Aragatsotn marz where new
agricultural technologies were introduced recently. The MCA-Armenia
Program finances the use of a gravity-fed irrigation system which
allows farmers to improve efficiency.

The given community is one of many others where equipment purchased
under the program has been installed. In addition, farmers have taken
training courses on how to use their new knowledge in practice.

According to a press release submitted to NT, until now more than 30
thousand farmers from 300 communities in Armenia have been introduced
to water management technologies under "Irrigated Agriculture"
component of MCA-Armenia program. About 5,000 farmers from 60
communities in Kotayk and Aragatsotn marzes have undergone training.