A working group of specialists developed a strategy for the development of livestock breeding in Armenia

ArmInfo. A working group of specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Agrarian University of Armenia developed a strategy for the development of livestock breeding. The document was discussed at a working meeting in the Ministry of Agriculture, which was held by the head of the department Ignat Arakelyan.

In addition to the Deputy Ministers of Agriculture Ashot Harutyunyan and Robert Makaryan, the representative of the French company "Sodial" Tony Bergo, who arrived in Armenia with the intention to invest in livestock sector, took part in the meeting.

According to the press service of the RA Ministry of Agriculture, Ignaty Arakelyan, welcoming the guests, stressed that the company "Sodial" is a large company specializing in France in the field of animal husbandry and milk processing, which intends to adapt its experience in Armenia. At the same time, the Minister expressed the hope that the presented program will become the basis for further cooperation.

In his turn, the expert of the Fund for Assistance to Agriculture and Agriculture of Armenia Ashot Grigoryan, presenting the program worked out by the working group, stressed that there are development tendencies in this area. Thus, in 2016, in comparison with the previous year, growth in the production of meat and dairy products was recorded. In addition, Armenia has serious opportunities for export of lamb meat to Iran and Arab countries, and in case of high-quality cheese production Russia can become a good market for Armenian producers. According to Ashot Grigoryan, there are a number of challenges in this area, including low efficiency and productivity, which makes livestock an unattractive direction for investments from investors. One of the directions of the proposed strategy is the development of breeding farms, the specification of their criteria. It is also proposed to create an artificial insemination station, develop cattle breeding and sheep breeding both at the expense of imported and local breeds. Summarizing the discussions, Ignaty Arakelyan positively assessed the program, giving a number of instructions for its completion.