U.S. AMBASSADOR, RA DEPUTY PM AND MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE VISIT MCA-ARMENIA PROGRAM SITES IN KOTAYK AND ARAGATSOTN
armradio.am
16.09.2009 12:53
On September 16, 2009, U.S. Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch, RA
Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan, RA Minister of Agriculture
Gerasim Alaverdyan, Aragatsotn marzpet Sargis Sahakyan, Kotayk
Marzpet Kovalenko Shahgeldyan, and other RA and U.S. delegation
members held a joint working visit to the Arzni-Shamiram main canal
section rehabilitated under the MCA-Armenia Program. The project site
represents a test area used to determine engineering and construction
best practices to be used during subsequent main canal rehabilitation
works. More than 30 communities and 60,000 people in both marzes will
benefit from the improvements in this canal.
The Arzni-Shamiram canal is one of six main canals within the Armenian
main canal network that will be rehabilitated under the MCA-Armenia
Program’s Irrigated Agriculture Project (IAP). Rehabilitation
and construction works are contracted to a consortium led by the
French company "SADE" and its Armenian subcontractor "SHMSH-23" of
Vayots Dzor. Rehabilitation and reconstruction works focus on canal
sections and water-management structures which are in poor to very
poor condition.
The delegation continued their trip to the community of Karbi in
Aragatsotn marz for an informative tour of the new agricultural
technologies being utilized by a farmer who underwent water-management
training. MCA-Armenia funded the installation of the drip irrigation
system which has allowed the farmer to transition to more efficient
and cost-effective irrigation practices.
This is only one of many demonstration sites where technical equipment
funded by the MCA-Armenia Program is explained to the farmers. Visits
to these sites are complementary to in-class training sessions,
providing farmers with hands-on evidence of how the new approaches
taught to them work in practice.
To date over 30,000 farmers in more than 300 communities in Armenia
have received training in water management technologies and higher
value agriculture within the Agriculture project of the Program. This
includes around 5000 farmers in 60 communities of Kotayk and Aragatsotn
marzes.
From: Baghdasarian