NEWS

03.02.2010

Credit Component Monitoring Results

On February 3, 2010 the implementing company of the Credit component of the Water-to-Market activity - Rural Finance Facility (RFF) PIU, presented the summarized research of the credits disbursed up to date. It is almost 2 years that the Credit component is being implemented. During the first year credit resources were disbursed through 4 banks and universal credit organizations selected through open bidding process, while in the second year their number is - 10. According to the RFF report, as of January 1, 2010, the number of applications for getting agricultural loan was 229, which contain 597 credit packages with the total amount of AMD 2,546,971 million. 91% of money has been disbursed. According to the report, the average amount of the loan is AMD 4,2 million, average duration - 61 months, average interest rate - 11%.

The loans are mainly directed to the construction and development of greenhouses, refrigerating equipments, fruit and grape orchards. Their main recipients are individual farmers.

22.01.2010

MCA-Armenia site visits commenced.

On January 22, 2010 MCA-Armenia CEO Ara Hovsepyan, accompanied with a group of staff members, visited Armavir and Ararat marzes. In Lukashin, Hovtashat and Nizami communities the MCA-Armenia team got acquainted with the activities of the farmer cooperatives which are members of the Federation of Agricultural Associations (FAA), particularly - capacities of the collection points under the Water-to-Market activity, freezing equipments, as well as the consolidation center situated in Yerevan and the cooperation between these entities. FAA president Vardan Hambardzumyan also participated in this visit. An interesting discussion on farmer cooperatives took place in Lukashin community: its member-farmers raised the issue of social, financial and technical problems which are being solved through the cooperatives. The scheme of the relationships between the FAA and cooperatives was presented in details.

In the second part of the day the MCA-Armenia team visited Aygezard Gravity system and Mkhchyan 1 Pumping station and got acquainted with the on-going civil works.

18.12.2009

MCA-Armenia Marks the End of the Year by Signing Two More Contracts

Yerevan, Armenia - On December 18, 2009, the Millennium Challenge Account - Armenia (MCA-Armenia) SNCO signed two contracts: Rehabilitation of Ararat Valley Drainage System (Package I) and Rehabilitation of Tertiary Irrigation Canals (Package I).

Press release

11.12.2009

U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie L. Yovanovitch visits the MCA-Armenia office

On December 11, 2009 MCA-Armenia hosted U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie L. Yovanovitch. This is the second ambassadorial visit of to the MCA-Armenia office, a clear indication of the importance of this U.S. Government funded Program to the high U.S. official. This visit gave the Ambassador a chance to get to know closer the people responsible for the implementation of the Program, and to hear from them about progress in the last year and the upcoming plans. Ambassador Yovanovitch expressed her willingness to support the Program and promised to continue the regular visits to Program sites.

11.12.2009

On November 11, 2009, the first Consolidation Center for storage and sales of farmers produce was officially opened in Yerevan. Present at the opening ceremony were Gerasim Barseghyan, the RA Minister of Agriculture and Mari L. Yovanovich, the US Ambassador.

...details

10.12.2009

On December 10, 2009, the MCA-Armenia Environmental and Social Assessment and Oversight Consultant, British "Mot MacDonald", held its annual workshop through which its activities, achievements and lessons learnt in the past year were presented to the Program partners and the wider public alongside with the plans for the upcoming year.

...details

09.12.2009

On December 9, 2009 MCA-Armenia hosted a group of US Peace Corps Volunteers interested in collaboration with the MCA-Armenia Program. During the MCA-Armenia staff presented the Program components, ongoing activities in marzes, role of the civil society during the Program implementation and discussed possible ways of collaboration with the volunteers.

The volunteers had an opportunity to learn about the projects being implemented in the marz where each PVC is based. This meeting also served as a wonderful opportunity for the volunteers to understand the crucial problems faced by the rural community dwellers. They were particularly interested in the role and activities of the Water Users Associations and thought t they could take the role of mediators between the community inhabitants and the WUA representatives. As far as the , the MCA-Armenia Program is concerned, the volunteers also saw themselves as active advocates of the Program in their communities to ensure that the local projects are more efficient and beneficiary oriented.

From the MCA-Armenia perspective, cooperation with the PCVs could raise the public awareness of the Program and contribute to better understanding of the Program and promotion of the participation of the civil society representatives in the Program implementation.

03.12.2009

Spitak Gravity System Construction Contract Signed

Press release

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