EU makes €6mln payment to support rural development in Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - In December 2014, the European Union confirmed financial support with total value of €25 million to the government of Armenia, within the program ENPARD (European Neighborhood Program for Agriculture and Rural Development) Armenia.

This program will be implemented over three years, providing €20 million of budget support for the government of Armenia to sustain agricultural and rural development. A further €5 million is being provided to support the Ministry of Agriculture and to promote the development of farmers groups and value adding chains throughout Armenia.

The budget support payments will be made over three years, and the 2015 payment of €6 million has just been transferred to the government of Armenia.

In confirming the payment, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, H.E. Traian Hristea commented, "I wish to congratulate the government of Armenia, in particular the Ministry of Agriculture, for meeting the general condition related to the agricultural sector over the past year. I understand that further important steps, such as the Mid-Term Review of the Sustainable Agricultural Development Strategy, are currently being undertaken, on the basis of which in a second phase, a new strategy is to be developed for the period 2015-2025. I believe it is important that this process is inclusive, accompanied by the identification of clear objectives, results and indicators and completed in a timely fashion."

This support, in line with EU assistance priorities, will contribute directly to achieving the Eastern Partnership key objective of reducing economic and social disparities. Given the high unemployment and lack of livelihoods and income, poverty levels in Armenia remain high, particularly in rural areas. Agriculture and subsistence farming represent a broad-based opportunity for food security and informal employment. Thus, there is a great need for agricultural and rural development through improving agricultural institutions, strengthening the capacity and performance of farmers associations and cooperatives, increasing access to affordable food, and supporting the roll-out of a general agricultural census. All of these areas are being supported through ENPARD Armenia.

Within the framework of the program, over €5 million has been committed to UNIDO, UNDP and FAO to provide technical support to the government of Armenia in close cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, local authorities and other stakeholders.

UNIDO and UNDP are working jointly to strengthen and establish producer groups and engage them effectively in value chain development. FAO provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Agriculture for institutional development and policy harmonization, as well as the roll-out of the national agricultural census. Beneficiaries of the program are rural communities, farmers, producer group members, employees in agricultural value chains, and their families.