The Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD) Foundation has established a Farm Service Center in Norapat community of Armavir province, within the framework of the USAID-funded Partnerships for Rural Prosperity (PRP) program.

The specialized center will focus on the development of the horticulture (garden cultivation and management) sector in Armenia and will promote advanced techniques and practices of farm business development. 

The official launch ceremony of the Farm Service Center (FSC) was held on May 12 with the participation of the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, Minister of Agriculture Sergo Karapetyan, First Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Emergency Situations Vaché Terteryan, and Governor of Armavir Ashot Ghahramanyan, as well as representatives of USAID, CARD, and the Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development National Center of Armenia, which implements the PRP program.

The new center will provide a package of services to local farmers and link them with international companies that provide supplies, equipment, and information on new technologies for horticulturalmanagement.The center will be equipped with up-to-date laboratory equipment for soil, water, and plant analysis, and willfacilitate market linkages and access to finance for Armenian farmers and rural small and medium size enterprises.

In addition, the FSC will host workshops and training programs by Armenian and foreign experts for more than 2,500 local farmers from 25 communitiesin Armavir. The centerwill also serve as a venue for hands-on seminars for thestudents of the Armenian National Agrarian University.