ARMENIAN LEADER PAYS FARM VISIT, AS OPPOSITION RALLIES AGAINST HIM
Public Television of Armenia
10 Apr 04
(Presenter) President Kocharyan today visited the Agroservice farm,
which he first visited when he was prime minister. Agroservice is one
of the republic’s largest farms and keeps pure-bred Caucasus Grey
cows.
(Correspondent over video of farm) Agroservice is one the largest of
six farms in the republic which survived the transition period’s
experiments and by reorganizing continues to breed pure-bred Caucasus
cows. The company, which was formed on the basis of the old one, is
implementing economic programmes and has successful results. When
President Kocharyan was prime minister, he visited the farm for the
first time and promised the farmers he would visit again.
Improving the stock of native cows for more than 15 years, Agroservice
has today started an artificial insemination programme with the
American Schmidt breed. Agriculture Minister David Lokyan is pleased
with the results.
(Agriculture Minister David Lokyan, captioned at the farm) I think
that we shall have one more joint programme with the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organization by the end of the year, called the
Improvement of the Genetic Resources of Caucasus Grey Cows, as a
result of which we shall provide small farms with pure-bred cows,
which is a basis for reducing poverty in our rural areas.
(Passage omitted: farmers speak about the farm, increasing the milk
yield)
(Robert Kocharyan, captioned at the farm) This was the first farm that
I visited when I was prime minister. This was the first and only such
farm. But similar farms are developing today with technology and have
a promising future. We have discussed possible programmes connected
with energy. If we try to consider a pilot programme and attempt to
implement it, we shall have interesting results.
(Correspondent over video of opening ceremony on Araks river) A
construction project for the century was commissioned today in Armavir
Region. This is the reconstruction of the Armavir main water reservoir
on the Araks river. As it is a border river, according to
international law Armenia and Turkey should use the water equally. The
water reservoir was reconstructed through joint financing, 870,000
dollars, by the Armenian government and World Bank.
(Robert Kocharyan) It is sufficient to look at the map to see the
whole length of the water reservoir. This is a serious construction
project, which means saving energy and it will also give farmers the
opportunity to use the river water, which is very useful. Construction
work will also be continued, we have a programme worth more than 3m
dollars.
(Correspondent) Experts say that the reconstruction of the water
reservoir, which was built in the 1930s, has resolved the problem of
more than 35,000 hectares of land in Armavir Region. It will allow the
irrigation of salt areas and in spring, when the three blocs at
Metsamor (nuclear power station) will be closed, it will be possible
to produce more than 6m kW of energy.
Lilit Setrakyan, “Aylur”.