NEWS

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. The center was launched through the joint efforts of the Federation of Agricultural Associations (FAA) and the Water-to-Market Activity of the MCA-Armenia Program.

The FAA-member Farmer Cooperatives located in the villages of Lukashin, Nizami and Hovtashat are expected to be the main partners and collection points for providing products. The Consolidation Center provides the following facilities and services:

- 2X40 ton freezing facility
- 120 ton cooling facility
- Storage of agricultural produce
- Delivery to supermarkets, stores, catering services and export
- Rent of freezing facility
- Sorting and packaging

Besides technical and financial assistance to co-fund the installation and equipment cost for corresponding facilities, MCA-Armenia provided consultation and training to the FAA and the three rural communities on awareness of the quality standards for fresh fruits and vegetables, post-harvest handling and storage technologies and practices.

The launching and operation of the center serves as an excellent example of the Supply/Market Chain Model of the Water-to-Market Project. The FAA Consolidation Center and the Network of 3 Collection Points will benefit 1,200 FAA member-farmers and over 3,000 non-members.

The Centre is located at Vantyan 61a, in the Proximity of Yerevan Malatya Wholesale Agricultural Market.