It’s been a long time since our last correspondence and a lot has changed since then:

• We have delivered milking units to farmers in different part of the country.

• We have started a pilot project to improve cattle breeding practices as part of the development of dairy production in Armenia.

• We are working toward a loan for a milk refrigeration unit for the Bardzravan community in Syunik.

• We have started a new project on providing loans to farmers for improving breeds of cattle.

• We have established new partnerships with different organizations working in the same field.

The Economic Crisis Hits Armenia’s Farmers

Delivering milking units has become more difficult than foreseen, as the economic crisis has affected Armenia and the low milk price – down from 90-110 AMD to 60-70 AMD – is decreasing returns and making it harder for farmers to make investments. Farmers who were encouraged by the prospect of an automated milking process are now holding back and waiting for these hard times to pass. The main problem behind the price drop is the plunge in the price of powdered milk worldwide. In order to make local products that are produced from raw milk marketable, dairy producers have been purchasing milk from farmers at a decreased price as well.

During our trips to different regions we met with a lot of farmers who stopped selling their milk and started small-scale production of cheese instead, as the current price of milk has made it very hard to make ends meet. The cheese production itself is not that profitable either, and to be able to make it in this business the average farm should have at least twenty or twenty-five cows. As was mentioned, the unfavorable situation and uncertainty about the future has made a lot of farmers put a hold on their intentions of investing in developing their farms.

Even so, we have delivered 12 units to farmers in the Gegharkounik, Lori and Syunik regions, and some more applications are in the finalization process. Twenty-four will be delivered soon. This, through the generosity and vision of donors Armen and Nadya Ekserciyan of Argentina. They were the pioneers that fostered this approach. The Polish Government through their assistance program and the farsightedness of Ambassador Thomas Knothe have also joined to augment this support to the farmers most able to benefit from it and become self-sufficient. But one thing is certain – this sector needs government support and backing. We will work in that direction as well.

How We Are Trying to Help: A Couple of Accomplishments…

We have made some efforts in establishing partnership links with various organizations dealing with rural development in different parts of Armenia. Some of these partnerships have turned out to be rather fruitful so far, as they have resulted in the delivery of three milking units and work on some pilot projects.

Two milking units went to Artavazd Karapetyan, a farmer in the Sisian area of the Syunik region, another unit has been delivered to Ivanyan Tigran, a farmer from Gorhayk community, through a partnership with “Action Against Hunger”, an international NGO which works in the area.

We have also started a pilot project that assists farmers in purchasing better cows to improve the quality of their herds. The first cow has already been delivered to Samvel Mashuryan, a farmer in Goris in the Syunik region, who will repay the amount back in affordable increments during the course of ten months as part of the project, by which we will be able to purchase another cow for another family. This project was made possible due to our partnership with the Strategic Development Agency, a local organization that has experience in developing farming communities in the Syunik region. Hayk Apovian of Brazil joined Nahreen Ghazarian of Boston, Mass, to contribute towards Samvel's cow Anush. For Hayk, it was a way to encourage his fellow Brazilian-Armenian youth to participate in real development work. For Nahreen, it was a way to wish happy birthday to her friend Asthik Lalabekyan, with an extra meaningful birthday gift. So, all those wishing to make $100 go farther than a sweater or a scarf, can join the GIVE A GOV campaign.

… And Some Initiatives

To understand what more can be done from our end, we have started a conversation with local dairy producers and farmers’ cooperatives, as well as with different NGOs involved in this sector. After a series of discussions, several ideas were generated, as a result of which we are currently designing a few projects that could assist this industry in the long run.

One of these projects is our “Buy Armenian” campaign. The idea behind this is to promote locally-made products within the Armenian market itself, urging consumers to buy local products – whether dairy, or juice, or even beer – as opposed to imported ones.

Another project that we have initiated, and for which we have in fact started a pilot phase, is improving the ventilation of barns. One of the most serious issues that hinders improvement in milk production is the lack of proper air or oxygen supply in barns. The cattle are kept in a building that has no access to fresh air which results in low milk production and even respiratory diseases among the cattle. To deal with this issue, we have purchased an imported roof ventilator and installed it in a barn in the Goris area of the Syunik region, to see if it might prove a solution to this problem, and also to see if it is possible to manufacture them in Armenia. The ventilation system we are testing is easy to assemble and is based on wind power, and so does not involve electricity or any related costs.

Yet another idea that we are trying to develop is providing finance for a milk refrigeration unit for the Bardzravan community in Syunik. The community has forty families and is going to be the recipient of more than sixty cows through a project that is being implemented by the Strategic Development Agency (SDA). This will make it possible, through the use of the milk refrigeration unit, to store milk well enough to be economically viable for purchase by local dairy producers. This project, in cooperation with the SDA, is still in the works. We will be sure to keep you posted on this and on all other initiatives of the Civilitas Foundation.

If you have any questions and/or comments please do not hesitate to contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .