ASHTARAK KAT TO ESTABLISH THREE MILK COLLECTION AND MARKETING UNITS IN TAVUSH REGION
ArmInfo
2007-06-20 17:53:00
Today during a press-conference at the UN House, the United Nations
Development Programme, Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development
and Ashtarak Kat Closed Joint Stock Company signed a Memorandum of
Undertanding to establish three Milk Collection and Marketing Units
in Tavush marz.
The press release by UNDP says that the goal is to establish milk
collection and marketing units in Varagavan, Tovuz and Nerkin
Karmiraghbyur located in Tavush marz to assist local dairy farmers
from nearly 10 neighboring villages to organize milk collection and
distribution processes and contribute to the sustainable growth of
the marz.
The units will be located in physical premises provided by the
community, which will be renovated according to the international food
safety standards and equipped with contemporary testing and cooling
equipment. Centers will be operated by community based organizations
(cooperatives) and supported by large dairy producers.
The UNDP Resident Representative Ms Consuelo Vidal told the audience
that the Milk Collection and Marketing Units will serve local
communities of Tavush marz and more than 200 farmers will benefit
from them. She also added that partnership with private companies like
Ashtarak Kat help ensure the sustainability of the economic development
activities, such as this centers, leading to poverty reduction through
the creation of new jobs and business opportunities in this case,
in the dairy sector.
During the event Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy Anthony Godfrey
said: "The US Government is happy to support through CARD this joint
initiative with UNDP aimed at strengthening private intitiatve in
the agricultural sector."
Within the scope of this Memorandum the parties agreed to share the
following responsibilities:
The UNDP "Performance Budgeting at the Local Level" and "Global
Compact Armenia" projects will renovate the buildings for the milk
collection centers provided by the communities in Varagavan, Tovuz
and Nerkin Karmiaghbyur and provide two milk collection trucks to
organize the milk collection in the communities.
The Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD) will install
milk collection and testing equipment. In addition CARD will provide
technical assistance to the local farmers to establish and operate
legal entities such as the cooperatives that will be formed.
Ashtarak Kat CJSC will buy the collected milk from the Milk Collection
and Marketing Units
Ashtarak Kat is a privare sector dairy producer in Armenia. It
cooperates with 4,500 farms located in 55 villages throughout the
country. In 2001 URS provided the company with ISO 9001:2000.