National Strategy for Sustainable Use and Development of Farm Animal Genetic Resources

The National Strategy for Sustainable Use and Development of Farm Animal Genetic Resources is national sectoral strategy of Armenia. Its main objective is to ensure national food security. The government wishes to maintain the necessary production capacity to meet a substantial portion of domestic food needs from domestic sources. Development objectives, as set out in this document, take into account the need to meet future requirements of the country and to fully utilize natural resources and production potential of available and genetically improved farm animals.
The Strategy aims to eliminate food insecurity. To this end, it provides for supply of the local market with fresh milk, dairy products, poultry, mutton and eggs, and about 80% supply of the beef and pork products; increase of export volumes of cheese varieties and processed meat products; usage of local production potential for fodder by expanding fodder crop areas and applying mechanisms for the efficient use of pastures; promotion of the formation of livestock breeding commercial organizations through the provision of consultancy and targeted crediting; increase in agricultural produce volume through the improvement of animal feeding and animal growing, development of pedigree breeding and sanitary-veterinary activities; development of traditional branches of light industry (carpet making, shoe and textile industry) with increase in demand for wool and leather based on this development; increase in the volume of Swiss cheese production and export through the improvement of Alpine pastures and the application of a system for their targeted use; improvement of pedigree breeding and the animal health system based on the improvement of animal identification, registration and information system establishment, as well as on the implementation of state direct assistance program; increasing in the volume of locally produced fodder through the increase of field fodder production and improvement of fodder ratio; encouragement of long-term leasing and privatization of natural pastures, introduction of mechanisms to promote efficient use of remote pastures, ensuring technical assistance to lessee and owners of pastures on improvement of vegetation cover, and rehabilitation of ecological balance and watering points for animals; regulation for the efficient use of Alpine pastures to promote Swiss cheese production; improvement of the field fodder production structure through the expansion of perennial fodder areas; assistance to small and medium-sized businesses in producing grain and compound fodder, as well as protein and vitamin additives; and evaluation of the degradation level of mountainous pastures and elaboration of improvement measures. Further, breeding objectives primarily aim at attaining livestock development objectives formulated in the Agricultural Development Strategy with regard to the volume and quality of livestock products. In cattle, the principal breeding goal is an increase in milk production. This will be attained by improving the dairy traits of the Caucasian Brown Cattle, and creation, in the short to medium term, of improved lines for production systems in lowland, foothills and mountainous areas. This will be achieved through the use of imported dairy and dairy and meat breeds, and the use of animals generated from crossbreeding and within-breed selection in nucleus herds. The genetic improvement for pigs and sheep will be attained by within-breed selection. Further studies and research will answer any questions in regard to the possible role of exotic blood in improving dairy traits and carcass quality of local sheep breeds.
The program will be implemented by farmers, their associations and organizations, research institutions and the Government of Armenia (Ministry of Agriculture). Farmers participating in this program will be assisted in establishing breeders’ associations. These associations will gradually take up the technical activities related to herd improvement, dissemination of information, organization of dissemination and sale of pedigree material, and represent the interests of their members in contact with other institutions.