NEWS

Agro-processing industry is considered as one of the highly efficient and export oriented branches of Armenian economy with the total share of about 30 % in the country\'s industrial production. Processing of agricultural products is mostly carried out by big economic entities and rural population mainly acts as suppliers. However, rural communities that are distant from main agricultural markets and agro-processing enterprises, face certain difficulties with regard to sales, storage and processing of the harvest, which leads to waste of products or sales in very low prices.

Agricultural activities and agro-processing are the main sources of employment and income generation of the population in Lusadzor community, Tavush region, where the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia during 2007-09 has successfully implemented eight development projects targeting both the recovery of socio-economic infrastructure and the creation of income generation opportunities for the households.

As a result of the UNDP multisided interventions, fruit production rapidly grows in the community which, in its turn, has necessitated the establishment of a cooperative agro-processing unit with the main objective to increase the income of farm households through processing, packing, branding and sales of leftover (unsold) agricultural products in compliance with food safety norms.

Attributing special consideration to the young people’s unemployment issues in agriculture and particularly in food processing sector, UNDP VET Project is collaboration with the State Employment Services Agency of the RA Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and Employers- training providers has complemented a general UNDP intervention in Lusadzor community by initiating a  number of short–term training programs for registered unemployed aimed at the acquisition of practical skills to be applied at the premises of cooperative agro-processing unit.  

Eight residents of Lusadzor community have been already trained within the joint project and are qualified as bakers, dried fruit producers and salesman, who currently work at the premises of the cooperative.
In 2011 UNDP VET project enables more than 170 unemployed young people across the country to improve their skills in agricultural occupations having high demand in the local labor market.