Armenian agriculture ministry plans to reach the sheep to 1.5 million by 2020

YEREVAN, November 15. /ARKA/. Armenian Agriculture Ministry in the frames of the strategy of sheep-breeding development plans to reach the sheep to 1.5 million by 2020, said first deputy Minister of Agriculture of Armenia Grisha Baghyan on Tuesday to the journalists.

As of November 1, 2011, the cattle increased in Armenia by 3 thousand making 574 thousand, sheep – 35 thousand (making 568. 5 thousand) and swine – 5 thousand to 120 thousand.

Baghyan said that development of sheep-breeding in recent years in the country allows also to provide export to Iran. This year 135 thousand sheep was exported to Iran.

Baghyan also said that with the purpose of development of sheep-breeding, the government jointly with the World Bank implements a program of development and management of communities and agricultural resources for the improvement of pastures in 55 communities of six regions of Armenia.

“This program also allows to increase productivity of milk and meat. There are pastures which recently were not used, and we have good pasture conditions for the development of cattle-breeding”, he said.

Baghyan said that in the frames of general long-term program of the World Bank in the amount of $15 million which started in 2011, works amounting 200 million drams (about $520 thousand) has been implemented.

“In the frames of this program we expect growth of milk production by 15-20% and meat - by 10-15%. There will also be established points of milk collection and milk processing points in future”, he said.–0--