Seventeen Greenhouses To Be Established In Tavush Region

SEVENTEEN GREENHOUSES TO BE ESTABLISHED IN TAVUSH REGION
Lilit Muradyan

“Radiolur”
24.05.2011 12:16

The global financial and economic crisis seriously shattered Armenia’s
path towards sustainable development, affecting both the welfare of
urban and rural population. According to the Integrated Household
Survey conducted by the National Statistical Service in 2009, the
rural poverty rate in Armenia is 34.9 percent. Tavush is one of the
regions of Armenia where a higher index of poverty rate is registered
– 35 percent – which affects 61 percent of the population that lives
in rural areas.

Poverty rates are high in rural households, which have small land plots
and limited opportunities of cultivating these lands. Promoting an
approach leading to efficient and extensive use of land resources is
a priority issue for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in Armenia, Oxfam GB Armenia, and other national and international
counterparts. This, in its turn, will enhance competitiveness of
local products, export opportunities, as well as strengthening of
institutional capacities, and establishment of rural cooperatives.

Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative
(UN RC/UNDP RR) in Armenia and Margarita Hakobyan, Country Director
of Oxfam GB Armenia signed an agreement to join organizational efforts
and resources aimed at improving the living conditions and alleviating
poverty of Aknaghbyur community, Tavush region.

Under the agreement, the UNDP will establish 17 greenhouses and Oxfam
GB Armenia will provide the greenhouses with drip irrigation network,
seedlings and favorable credit resources.

“Development challenges are holistic and complex hence collaborative
and partnership approaches to address those are required. Being present
at national, regional and local levels makes us a partner of choice to
support the long-term nature of human development in Armenia. Together
with Oxfam GB Armenia we will streamline our expertise, knowledge
and resources to reduce poverty and socio-economic inequalities in
Aknaghbyur community, thus, promoting sustainable development and
creating better living conditions for the population of Tavush region,”
said Dafina Gercheva, UN RC/UNDP RR.

“Addressing disproportional development of the country and reducing
inequality and poverty in rural areas requires multi stakeholders’
engagement, high commitment, and effective use of resources,
coordinated and complementary efforts to ensure tangible impact. Our
long term presence in the country and years of partnership with
UNDP is vivid example of this. Together we can do more and better
for the benefit of poor people and for bringing lasting solution
of the poverty reduction in the country,” said Margarita Hakobyan,
Country Director Oxfam GB Armenia.