Acting Minister: In 2019-2024 the livestock of breeding cattle will  increase by 10 thousand  animals

ArmInfo.Over the next five years, the number of breeding cattle in Armenia will increase by 10 thousand  animals. At the March 29 sitting, the RA government  approved the program for the development of breeding cattle for 2019-2024.

According to Gegham Gevorgyan, Acting Minister of Agriculture of the  Republic of Armenia, the program envisages the provision of state  assistance to farmers in the purchase of cattle numbers by  subsidizing interest rates on attracted credit resources. Loans will  be provided for a period of 5 years with a maximum interest rate of  12%. At the same time, the state will subsidize 10%. Thus, farmers  will have to pay only 2% of the loan amount. Moreover, for residents  of border regions and agricultural cooperatives, a zero interest rate  on attracted resources was established. The estimated cost of a  breeding cow will be 1 million drams, the maximum loan amount per  beneficiary will be equal to 300 million drams. Thus, each  participant of the program will be able to purchase 300 heads of  breeding cattle, which can be purchased both in Armenia and abroad.

In total, it is planned to increase the livestock of breeding cattle  by 10 thousand heads during the reporting period. For comparison: in  2013-2018 2199 heads were brought to the republic. The expected  effect from the implementation of the program within five years will  be 29 billion drams received from the sale of meat and milk. "The  multiplicative effect of this project is obvious ," the Acting  Minister said, adding that currently the republic is experiencing a  shortage of 100 thousand tons of quality milk. When receiving credit  resources, farmers will have to submit documents showing the breeding  nature of the cattle to be acquired. At the same time, the risks are  reduced to zero, Gegham Gevorgyan assured.

He also said that the program "Smart Farm" is being prepared, under  which it is planned to sign an agreement with the Agrarian University  of Armenia for accelerated courses for farmers to increase their  financial literacy.