Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development Foundation

From March 17-28, 2013, under the USDA-initiated Cochran Fellowship Program, a study tour was designed to familiarize the 7 participants from Armenia, including CARD  Agribusiness and Marketing Department  representative Naira Mkrtchyan, with Horticulture/postharvest practices using the most productive Agricultural region in the world-California’s San Joaquin Valley.

The participants, who were horticultural farmers from all over Armenia, had the opportunity to learn about farm-to-fork approach and about the best practices in horticulture.

Program delivery focused on three primary areas: Effective Horticultural Practices; Modern Post Harvest Production and Marketing Agricultural Products.

The program included lectures from university faculty combined with field visits to a variety of agribusiness entities including growers, packers and shippers with an emphasis on enhancing the postharvest component of value chain.

February 10-23, 2013, CARD cattle breeding project consultant  Arman Ohanyan took part in the training organized at the “Agribusiness and Management” Academy of St. Petersburg State Agrarian University, Russia.

The training was aimed at introducing 2 computer programs. One of them enables to make a balanced feed ratio for the cattle based on the available feed base at farms which is cost effective, increases the potential milk yield per head, extends the productive life of a cow and finally increases the economic efficiency of animal husbandry. The second program “Seleks” allows automatic preliminary calculation of pedigree and genetic potential, operative management of farms, breeding-selection operative management, animal bonitation, analysis of bonitation works, prediction of cow productivity and a number of analytic works related to pedigree breeding.

The eleven-day training was conducted by the University lecturers and specialists in charge of field works at the pedigree breeding of the “Plinor” computer laboratory in St. Petersburg.

As a result of the visit, licensed “Feed balanced ratio”, as well as Contract for installation and license of “Seleks” programs were obtained.

Through the application of the mentioned programs, it will be possible to establish regional information databases at the Farm and Veterinary Service Centers (FVSCs) established by CARD. With those databases, the genetically improved cattle and dairy herds will be registered; after the quality evaluation of available feed resources, feed balanced ratios will be made and provided to farmers; finally, modern registration system can be developed which will reflect particular region’s strong parts and concerns.

Upon the end of the training, the trainees were also handed state certificates by the Rector of the University.