GIGR's International Activities Now Includes the Republic of Armenia By R. Merkel

GIGR has been awarded a 12-month grant from the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) Innovation Fund Program for activities with the Armenian Agricultural Academy. Recently, the USDA-CSREES Marketing Assistance Project (Map) in Armenia has assisted the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture and the Armenian Agricultural Academy in establishing a dairy goat breeding center in Yeghegnadzor, Armenia that will be cooperatively owned by farmers of the Armenian Dairy Goat Products Cooperative. The purpose of the center is to use research and extension to assess village dairy goat production systems and constraints, develop successful intervention strategies and transfer that knowledge to producers. Additionally, the Center wishes to improve the quality of Armenian goat milk and goat milk products through the institution of a Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI)-like organization in Armenia. GIGR has the only DHI lab and record keeping system in the United States devoted solely to goats. To support and strengthen the activities of the dairy goat breeding center in Armenia, GIGR will host three Armenian personnel for a three-week training period. Armenian personnel will be trained in the use of equipment for the analysis of milk fat and protein content. They will also be trained in dairy goat record keeping and processing and in the interpretation of those records for producers. This training will equip them with the knowledge to implement such a program in Armenia. In addition to DHI training, the Armenian personnel will be trained in artificial insemination, semen collection, evaluation and freezing. They will also be brained in the conduct of breeding soundness exams that can be used in evaluating young bucks.

Along with the training, the visitors will have the chance to visit Oklahoma goat farms and interact with producers before their return to Armenia. As a final part of the grant, three GIGR personnel will travel to Armenia to provide technical assistance to their fledgling dairy goat industry and determine ways in which GIGR can assist theArmenian Agricultural Academy and the FDBC in the future. MAP will assist farmers and agribusinesses in production, marketing and exporting food and related products to increase incomes, create jobs, and raise the standard of living for Armenians working in the agri-processing sector. This assistance will come in the form of timely technical, financial, and marketing support to farmers and farmer groups, agribusinesses, as well as education, extension services and applied research throughout the country. The Goat Industry Development Project is a major new project initiative in Armenia that involves the dairy goat husbandry and goat cheese industry in the southern part of Armenia. The focus of this effort is the new "ARID Goat Center"(Armenian Improved Dairy Goat Center). The center's goal is to increase dairy goat lactation in the Vayots Dzor Region, and later in other regions of Armenia, by 100 liters/goat/year. This increased milk supply will increase new goat cheese products for which there is a demonstrated export potential. Summited by Jane Carver