On July 26, U.S. Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch visited Millennium Challenge Account – Armenia (MCA-Armenia) Program sites in Armavir marz together with Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian to observe the ongoing construction works and progress to date, to see farmer support initiatives and have an understanding how the MCA-Armenia helps irrigation management entities.

The Ambassador first visited the rehabilitated section of Lower-Hrazdan Main Canal in Merdzavan. Once completed, it will supply reliable irrigation water to 36,000 beneficiaries in Armavir and Yerevan. Her next stop was the rehabilitated Artimet Tertiary Canal, which will supply reliable irrigation water to another 710 water users.

Following this, the Ambassador visited a farm demonstration site managed by Simon Jamalian to better understand the new irrigation technologies and high value agricultural practices taught through the MCA-Armenia Program.

Lastly she visited the “Vagharshapat” Water User Association (WUA), a beneficiary of MCA-Armenia Institutional Strengthening Sub-Activity providing assistance to all 44 WUAs in Armenia. The assistance includes: development and implementation of WUA Management Improvement Plans, software focusing on budgeting, accounting, and Geographic Information Systems, as well as training on how to integrate these software packages to achieve maximum effectiveness, new office equipment and furniture, and, in some cases, heavy machinery to assist in managing, maintaining, and operating the WUA’s irrigation systems.

Through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the US Government is providing the MCA-Armenia Program with nearly USD 180 million in assistance. The aim of this five year Program is to help reduce rural poverty through a sustainable increase in the economic performance of Armenia’s agricultural sector. When completed in September 2011, the MCA-Armenia Program expects to benefit over 420,000 rural residents in around 350 communities across Armenia by refurbishing major sections of the country’s main canal systems, modernizing some of the most urgently needed pumping stations, introducing new gravity irrigation schemes, re-building tertiary canals and restoring sections of the Ararat Valley Drainage system. MCA-Armenia is also training45,000 farmers in improved agriculture practices, delivering technical assistance to water supply institutions and providing USD 8.5 million in credit to farmers and small agribusinesses in support of the program objectives, the press service of MCA-Armenia reported.