AIR

About Us

The proposed project builds on the earlier initiative “Establishment of a Functional Animal Identification and Registration (AIR) System in Armenia,” which created the foundation for a national AIR framework. While that project introduced basic structures and processes, important gaps remain, particularly in integrating AIR with outdated veterinary and slaughterhouse systems, ensuring farmer compliance in reporting, and improving institutional capacity for data management. The new project aims to address these challenges by facilitating the modernization of veterinary and slaughterhouse services, strengthening institutional linkages, and enhancing stakeholder participation to ensure the long-term functionality, accuracy, and sustainability of the AIR system for bovine and small ruminants in Armenia.

The Animal Identification and Registration (AIR) system in Armenia is a foundational component of Armenia’s agricultural infrastructure, serving as a critical tool for enhancing national food security, enabling effective governance, and fostering rural economic development.  By providing accurate and timely data on livestock populations, the AIR system supports informed decision-making across various domains, including investment planning, budgeting, government support programs, service delivery, input demand forecasting, and the estimation of annual production and productivity levels.

Building on the success of the bovine AIR system, the Armenian government has recognized the need to extend identification and registration efforts to small ruminants, including sheep and goats.  In 2024, a decree was passed to initiate the identification and registration of small ruminants, with the project scheduled to commence in 2025.

The project will place a strong emphasis on reforms of veterinary and slaughterhouse systems, international experience exchange, stakeholder engagement, actively involving farmers, veterinarians, and government institutions through capacity development, awareness campaigns, and training activities.

In line with ADA’s cross-cutting priorities, the project will promote inclusive participation by engaging women, youth, and vulnerable livestock keepers in training, demonstrational projects, and capacity development efforts. Environmental considerations will be embedded throughout implementation to support sustainable natural resource management.

Key areas to be addressed by this project:

  1. Supporting the implementation of the AIR system for small ruminants and enhancing the existing bovine AIR system.
  2. Enhancement of the slaughterhouse system in Armenia to ensure the removal of ear tag numbers from the ANI PAS electronic database, enabling the functionality and sustainability of the AIR system.
  3. Upgrade of the Veterinary System and enhancement of Animal Movement Reporting to the ANI PAS Electronic Database to ensure the Functionality and Sustainability of the AIR System

 

To achieve this impact, the project entails the following outcome:

  • To improve and modernize veterinary and slaughterhouse systems to strengthen the accuracy of AIR data for bovine and small ruminants, thereby contributing to enhanced animal health, food safety, and traceability systems.

 

The following two outputs are expected to be achieved as a result of the project implementation:

Output 1

A functional AIR system for small ruminants is established, while the existing bovine AIR system is improved, upgraded and sustained. The AIR systems are aligned with the national regulatory framework, with the Ministry of Economy assuming regulatory and legislative responsibility for their continued functionality.

Output 2

The capacities of key stakeholders, including government officials, private entities, veterinarians, animal keepers,  slaughterhouse operators, etc, are enhanced through the provision of training,  infrastructure, technical expertise, know-how, and operational tools, and mechanisms necessary for the effective implementation and operation of the AIR system for bovine and small ruminants.

 Target group, beneficiaries and local partners

The proposed project will be interventions will be implemented across the entire territory of the Republic of Armenia.

Direct beneficiaries: a) the RA MoE; b) the RA Centre of the Agricultural Services State Non-Commercial Organization (SNCO); c) MoE AIR department; d) the RA Food Safety Inspectorate; e) the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure; f) the Armenian National Agrarian University g) livestock markets and animal origin food producers; h) slaughterhouses; i) livestock farmers/ the Pedigree Animal Breeders Association; j) veterinarians/the National Association of Veterinarians; k) Farm and Veterinary Service Centers (FVSCs); l) the ANI PAS software development and maintenance team.

Indirect beneficiaries include, but are not limited to: a) other republican executive bodies, including the RA Ministry of Health (MoH) and the RA National Statistical Service; b) agribusinesses, including animal origin food processors, traders; and c) consumers, consumer protection unions.

The Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia (MoE)

The Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia with the current structure was formed as a result of the unification of the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments of the Republic of Armenia and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia according to the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Amending and Adding to the Law “On the Structure and Activities of the Government ”adopted by the RA National Assembly on May 8 2008 (signed by the President of the Republic of Armenia on May 16, 2019, No-31-N).

The Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia includes 21 main professional structural divisions, 9 supporting structural divisions, 1 office and 1 subordinate body.

The Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia is Gevorg Papoyan.

Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia since 5 march, 2024

The Ministry of Economic Development and Investment of the Republic of Armenia is the successor to the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, which, in turn, was created on the basis of the State Committee on Economics of the Republic of Armenia. The State Committee for Economics of the Republic of Armenia was formed in 1990 as a result of the restructuring of the State Planning Committee of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic.

In 1997, by Decree N 747 dated June 10 “On Structural Changes of the Government of the Republic of Armenia” of the President of the Republic of Armenia, as a result of the merger of the Ministry of Trade, Services and Tourism, the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Armenia was formed.

In 2002, by Decrees NN 1063 and 1064 of March 16 of the President of the Republic of Armenia, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Armenia was reformed and renamed the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development of the Republic of Armenia.

On April 21, 2008, by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Armenia, the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development was renamed the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia.

The "Agricultural Services Center" State Non-Commercial Organization (CAS SNCO) under the Ministry of Economy

The State Non-Commercial Organization “Agrochemical Service” (state registration number: 290.210.03025, TIN 01805817) has been renamed to the State Non-Commercial Organization “Agricultural Services Center,” and certain functions have been assigned to it by Government Decision No. 79-N dated January 30, 2020.

The organization is authorized to carry out the following types of entrepreneurial activities:

  1. Conduct agrochemical studies on lands owned by individuals, legal entities, and other land users, and prepare relevant recommendations;
  2. Determine the residual amounts of fertilizers in plant products and animal feed, and assess their quality;
  3. Perform chemical analyses of fertilizers and evaluate their quality;
  4. Through its accredited laboratory, in accordance with the procedure established by the Government of the Republic of Armenia, conduct examinations aimed at determining the quality indicators of imported and locally produced fertilizers, and, based on the results, prepare and issue official examination reports.

The CAS SNCO provides the following services`

  • Animal identification and registration
  • Veterinary services
  • Phytosanitary
  • Agrochemistry

For more information, please visit www.cas.am

Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD) Foundation

Was established in 2005 and is the successor of USDA MAP project. Tight cooperation with USDA and vast expertise transferred by US experts has accumulated a notable know-how in house and laid a firm foundation for quality provision and successful project implementation. In fact, having high success rate in project implementation CARD Foundation has diversified its donor portfolio and cooperated with more than 10 international donor organizations including European Union (EU), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), Austrian Development Agency (ADA), Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Bank (WB), World Wide Foundation (WWF), GiZ, etc. Projects implemented by CARD Foundation are specialized in horticulture production (open field and green production), animal health management, food processing including dried fruit production, winemaking, development of agricultural mechanization services, herb production and overall introduction to innovative agricultural production practices.

For more information, please visit www.card.am.