Armenian government approves farm consolidation concept
03.11.2011,
23:35
The Armenian government approved today a farmland consolidation concept. Agriculture minister Sergo Karapetyan said the concept is in tune with the strategy of sustainable rural development designed for 2010-2020.
YEREVAN, November 3. / ARKA /. The Armenian government approved today a farmland consolidation concept. Agriculture minister Sergo Karapetyan said the concept is in tune with the strategy of sustainable rural development designed for 2010-2020.
According to him, the efficiency of agricultural production is limited due to small sizes of farms (340,000) and the fragmentation of land (1.2 million land parcels)."The main goal of the concept is to address the process of consolidation of farm land, increase the investment attractiveness of the sector and create favorable conditions for improving the competitiveness of exporters and large trade organizations," said the minister.
"The basis of two government-designed programs is based on the principle of stimulating cooperation; the first program on competitiveness and management is aimed at the establishment of associations for the use of pastures. They have been created in 35 communities already. The second program backed by a Japanese grant, provides for the purchase of tractors for the cooperatives," he said.
The minister said a pilot project was implemented in 2006 in Kotayk province. As a result an average farm size increased from 0.55 ha to 1.93 ha. Karapetyan said that the entire process of land consolidation is divided into three phases: in the first, two-year stage, a legal framework and conditions for the promotion of land consolidation will be created, the second three-year phase will focus on voluntary land consolidation and the third, five-years stage, will focus on establishment of small and medium enterprises and their technical equipment. Armenia has 470,000 ha of sown area, of which only 71% is used for sowing and 130 thousand hectares of arable land are not cultivated. -0-
According to him, the efficiency of agricultural production is limited due to small sizes of farms (340,000) and the fragmentation of land (1.2 million land parcels)."The main goal of the concept is to address the process of consolidation of farm land, increase the investment attractiveness of the sector and create favorable conditions for improving the competitiveness of exporters and large trade organizations," said the minister.
"The basis of two government-designed programs is based on the principle of stimulating cooperation; the first program on competitiveness and management is aimed at the establishment of associations for the use of pastures. They have been created in 35 communities already. The second program backed by a Japanese grant, provides for the purchase of tractors for the cooperatives," he said.
The minister said a pilot project was implemented in 2006 in Kotayk province. As a result an average farm size increased from 0.55 ha to 1.93 ha. Karapetyan said that the entire process of land consolidation is divided into three phases: in the first, two-year stage, a legal framework and conditions for the promotion of land consolidation will be created, the second three-year phase will focus on voluntary land consolidation and the third, five-years stage, will focus on establishment of small and medium enterprises and their technical equipment. Armenia has 470,000 ha of sown area, of which only 71% is used for sowing and 130 thousand hectares of arable land are not cultivated. -0-
