Funded by the Austrian Development Agency and in cooperation with Oxfam Armenia, BSC has implemented the project Improving Smallholder Farming through Agricultural Cooperatives and Value Chain Development in Tavush Region, Armenia.
The project focused on 15 rural communities in Tavush. Project beneficiaries were small farm owners from the target communities.
The goal of the project was to benefit 2,000 community members through the implementation of a range of activities, including the development of agricultural cooperatives, facilitating micro credit provision and developing an agricultural infrastructure (community greenhouses, a cold storage facility, and a processing plant).
The project also aimed at highlighting the importance of improving women’s roles in agricultural value chain development.
Within the project, BSC carried out a feasibility study for the establishment of a processing plant, which was followed by providing consultation on the branding for the plant. Another activity was the development of a website for the cooperatives. Moreover, we carried out research studies to assess women's roles and potential in the supply chain development, based on the fact that households headed by women make up 10%-15% of the targeted households.
Community members took part in training programs on bookkeeping, accountancy skills, financial reporting, as well as acquiring skills for dealing with relevant government departments, project management and sustainable use of forest resources.
The newly-established cooperatives were provided with consulting services on accounting, marketing, and on building relations with processors and suppliers. Activities for the establishment of greenhouses included land lot identification and final selection, legal documentation and paperwork, tender announcements and contracting.
Fifteen greenhouses, including those with drip irrigation systems, were constructed in communities of the Tavush region. Cooperative members were provided with agricultural tools, equipment and fertilizers.
Within the scope of the project, 15 new cooperatives were established in 15 rural communities in Tavush.
As a result of the project, small farm owners had the opportunity to become members of agricultural cooperatives to improve their position within their value chains. This project fully complied with the RA Rural Sustainable Development (RASD) Strategy (2010/20).