PRESS RELEASE
UN Department of Public Information
Contact: Information Officer Armine Halajyan
Yerevan Office (Armenia)
Tel.: (374 10) 560 212
Fax/Tel.: (374 10) 561 406
Mobile: (374 91) 20 37 25
Press Release
Date: 21 May, 2007
`Milk Collection And Marketing Units’
Innovative solutions to sustainable community development
YEREVAN, June 20, 2007 – Today during a press conference at the UNHouse,
the United Nations Development Programme, Center for Agribusiness and
Rural Development and Ashatarak Kat Closed Joint Stock Company signed a
Memorandum of Understanding to establish three (3) Milk Collection And
Marketing Units in Tavush marz.
The goal is to establish milk collection and marketing units in
Varagavan, Tovuz and Nerkin Karmiraghbyur located in Tavush marz to
assist local dairy farmers from nearly 10 neighboring villages to
organize milk collection and distribution processes and contribute to
the sustainable growth of the marz.
The Units will be located in physical premises provided by the
community, which will be renovated according to the international food
safety standards and equipped with contemporary testing and cooling
equipment. Image Centers will be operated by community based
organizations (cooperatives) and supported by large dairy producer/s.
The UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Consuelo Vidal told the audience
that `the Milk Collection And Marketing Units will serve local
communities of Tavush marz and more than 200 farmers will benefit from
them’. She also added that `Partnership with private companies like
Ashtarak Kat help ensure the sustainability of the economic development
activities, such as this centers, leading to poverty reduction through
the creation of new jobs and business opportunities in this case, in the
dairy sector.’
During the event Charge d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy Anthony Godfrey
said: "The U.S. government is happy to support, through CARD, this joint
initiative with UNDP aimed at strengthening private initiative in the
agricultural sector."
Within the scope of this Memorandum the parties agreed to share the
following responsibilities:
The UNDP `Performance Budgeting at the Local Level’ and `Global Compact
Armenia’ Projects will renovate the buildings for the milk collection
centers provided by the communities in Varagavan, Tovuz and Nerkin
Karmiraghbyur and provide two (2) milk collection trucks to organize the
milk collection in the communities.
The Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD) will install
milk collection and testing equipment. In addition, CARD will provide
technical assistance to the local farmers to establish and operate legal
entities such as the cooperatives that will be formed.
Ashtarak-Kat Closed Joint Stock Company will buy te collected milk from
the Milk Collection And Marketing Units
Global Compact Armenia is a project of the UNDP that creates new
opportunities for and facilitates the establishment of strategic
partnerships with the private sector by using the Corporate Social
Responsibility and responsible corporate citizenship concepts and the
power of collective action.
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UNDP is the UN’s global development network. It advocates for change and
connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people
build a better life. We operate in 166 countries, working with them on
their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As
they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our
wide range of partners.
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UN DPI is the UN’s Department of Public Information. It disseminates
first-hand information about the United Nations global events. Local DPI
offices assist UN Country Teams to disseminate their information to
wider public audiences.
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