Farmers Rejoice: Number of Sheep, Pigs, Goats in Armenia Increased

One of the agriculture ministry’s most important issues is ensuring the growth figures in the agricultural sector, which were recorded this year, said Armenia’s First Deputy Agriculture Minister Grisha Baghyan (pictured below), speaking to reporters in Yerevan today.

In the past nine months, agriculture has had an overgrowth of 15.3% as a result of gross production, while there was a growth of 1.5% in the animal husbandry sector, he said.

In the area of animal husbandry, the deputy minister stressed that prerequisites and a foundation were established at the beginning of the year so that today there is growth in livestock production and population figures.

“According to data available on Nov. 1, the number of large horned animals increased by 3,000 and totaled 574,500; the number of sheep and goat increased by 35,000, totaling 568,500; and pigs increased by 5,000, totaling around 120,000 [in the country]. Tied to the growth in population figures, we have ensured a growth in livestock products. More than 3,000 tons of meat products were exported with the overall growth being 107,000 tons; more than 7,000 tons of milk was exported with the overall growth being 570,000 tons. Initially, we recorded a drop in egg production, but this quickly came to an end, and at the end of the year, we will have the same indicator which we had at the end of last year.

“Having a cattle husbandry program in 2007, we acquired pedigree heifers from foreign companies — with this, ensuring headlong growth in both meat and dairy. Also being developed is a concept for sheep husbandry, according to which we have to get the sheep population up to 1.5 million. Pastures not exploited till now will be used. This improvement project is carried out with joint funds from the World Bank. Work to improve pastures will be carried out in 55 communities in 6 marzes [provinces]. Milk processing factories will be built in the communities adjacent to distant pastures; at the same time, our villagers will use the pastures and preserve the meat products. As a result, we will have a 15% increase in milk. This work is in progress; these are long-lasting projects, which will be implemented in the coming years,” Baghiyan concluded.