PUM POJECTS
SUPPORTED BY
Dutch Government organization PUM Netherlands Senior Experts has over thirty years of experience in advising businesses in developing countries and emerging markets. Since its foundation in 1978, PUM has expanded to become Europe’s largest ‘temping agency’ for the deployment of professional volunteers, applying the motto of ‘entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs’. PUM provides assistance to small and medium sized enterprises through sending out retired entrepreneurs (experts) as volunteers thus contributing to the improvement of economic performance in general.
PUM Project Team
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Robert Back
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Wim de Jong
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Jan Veltkamp
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Louis Timmermans
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Johan Koeslag
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Jules Brummelhuis
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Jan Boeren
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Renze Klamer
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Gijsbert Kroon
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Robert van Mechelen
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Lidwine Dellaert
Jun 24 2014
BUILDING PRIVATE EXTENSION SERVICE CAPACITIES IN GEORGIA
The “Animal Health Management in Cross-Border Areas of Armenia and Georgia” project financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) is jointly implemented by the Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD) Foundation in Armenia and by the Heifer Georgia International. The project is aimed at improving the economic viability at cross-border areas of Armenia and Georgia through awareness building campaigns on prevention and control of trans-boundary diseases, improvement of herd management strategies and development of private veterinary business capacities through application of new techniques and establishment of the Farm and Veterinary Service Centers (FVSCs). The new model of the private extension veterinary and farm services established by CARD Foundation...
Apr 19 2011
CARD AND PUM HOLD TRAININGS IN SYUNIK AND SHIRAK
CARD Foundation together with Dutch PUM Senior experts Robert Back and Wim de Jong organized and conducted trainings on Farm Management in Syunik and Shirak marzes on March 14-26, 2011. During the trainings the experts shared experience with local farmers, village mayors and students involving every participant in the training process by means of interactive presentations, slideshows, Q&As, etc. The main topics covered during the trainings were animal welfare, barn conditions such as light, fresh air, ventilation, also feeding management, and proper milking. The experts displayed photos of farms before and after their trainings putting the emphasis on the lack of light, ventilation, feed and water quality. Another interesting thing about the presentation was that the experts talked...
Apr 26 2011
CARD AND PUM SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
The Foundation PUM Netherlands Senior Experts (the Netherlands), represented by Country Coordinator for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia Otto Wagenaar and the Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development Foundation (Armenia), represented by Deputy Director Sevak Manukyan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on April 21, 2011. The objective of signing the MoU is to contribute to the development of Armenian agricultural sector through provision of targeted and efficient support to the SMEs, small scale farmers and farmers’ cooperatives, as well as government initiatives. Both organizations contribute to improve the value added production in agriculture and food processing according to the local and international market needs through trainings, technical assistance and d...
Jan 20 2012
CARD AND PUM TO ASSIST HORTICULTURE FARMERS IN ARMENIA
The CEO of Netherlands Senior Experts (PUM), Thijs van Praag ,signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last spring with the Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD). After obtaining successful results, the agreement is being continued. CARD and PUM CARD is an umbrella organization for agriculture and livestock in Armenia supported by the agricultural industry and the government. As part of the agreement between CARD and PUM, groups of 15 to 20 companies will be formed, and PUM will advise the collectives on management issues and the best means of production. Several missions have been successfully completed and new ideas have arisen that require an expansion and extension of the agreement between the parties. Plans for the Future CARD plays an important role...
Jul 18 2012
INVOLVEMENT OF POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS IN GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT
To prepare young specialists in the field of Greenhouse Management, CARD has involved of postgraduate students from the Armenian State Agrarian University (ASAU) in its training sessions that are a part of the USDA-supported greenhouse management development initiative. For this goal, CARD invited an agronomist from PUM Senior Experts, Ms. Lidwine Dellaert, to conduct seminars and on-site consultations for ASAU postgraduates, greenhouse association members, and greenhouse owners from the Ararat and Armavir regions. Ms. Lidwine Dellaert, who presented a number of topics on greenhouse farming and provided solutions to several issues that were pressing local farmers. As part of this training session, multiple visits to local greenhouses were organized and on-site consultation was provid...
Aug 27 2012
INTRODUCTION OF COMMUNITY LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (CLMP)
The livestock sector in Armenia still faces challenges and to cope with those, most of the management practices need to be improved. An idea to develop a Community Livestock Management Program (CLMP) was originated when PUM experts Mr. Robert Back and Mr. Wim de Jong were in Armenia in March of 2011. For the implementation of the pilot project, Sarnakunq community of the Syunik region was chosen to start with, as animal breeding and fieldwork are the main activities in the region. In the scope of their July, 2012 visit, Mr. Back and Mr.de Jong along with CARD experts Arman Ohanyan, Levon Movsisyan and Tigran Gabrielyan met with Sarnakunq village Mayor Manuchar Mkrtchyan at Farm and Veterinary Service Center (FVSC) and discussed community pasture management issues and the project&rsqu...
Oct 19 2012
“MODERN FRUIT DRYING TECHNOLOGIES” SEMINARS BY PUM
During his mission, from September 3 to September 12, Mr. Timmermans paid visits to several fruit drying facilities in Ararat, Armavir and Tavush regions, as well as to Arcolad chocolate production facility and provided on-site consultancy on cabinet drying technologies. Apart from the field trips, the PUM expert conducted two seminars with Power-point presentations on “Modern Fruit Drying Technologies”, during which he made some comments on the traditional way of drying (sun drying) along with its advantages and disadvantages, and the modern way of drying through cabinet dryers. The expert linked the future of industrial fruit drying with high quality cabinet and tunnel dryers, which will allow producing standard quality dried fruits in a controlled and clean environm...
Feb 05 2013
LAUNCH OF ANOTHER LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP THROUGH PUM NETHERLANDS SENIOR EXPERTS SUPPORT
The development of Armenian dairy industry including cattle farm management is one of CARD’s strategic directions. Feed production and improvement of feed base is another target point. Current feeding practices mainly rely on high-fiber, poor quality forage with a low protein level. In the long run, animals hardly receive adequate nutrition and energy, whereas for maximum performance and healthy animals, optimum nutrition is required. Introduction of feed additives and calf starters is CARD’s solution to the problem. The idea of CARD-Trouw Nutrition collaboration emerged during the discussions held at PUM Netherlands Senior Experts office as part of the visit CARD specialist Arman Ohanyan paid in the winter of 2012. Then, PUM senior experts Dr. Robert Back and Dr. Wim...
Apr 18 2013
PUM MISSIONS IN ARMENIA ARE ONGOING
For the period of January 19-27, PUM expert Mr. Jan Boeren was on his first mission to Armenia. The one-week visit was full of discussions and consultation on issues related to strategy, corporate management, project management, leadership and communication. Meetings held with CARD Management group and the staffs were very productive in terms of finding out gaps and making possible changes for improvements. Special emphasis was put on tactical management as to how strategic decisions should be transferred into operational functioning. As a follow-up mission, in mid April, CARD is going to host another PUM expert, Mr. Renze J. Klamer, who will deliver demand driven sessions on leadership, project management and general management practices.
Feb 27 2014
CARD/PUM INITIATIVE FOR SWINE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA
During the business link trip to the Netherlands organized by Dr. Robert Back and Dr. Wim de Jong, CARD’s livestock breeding project coordinator Arman Ohanyan had a chance to meet one of the leading swine breeding experts in Holland. Arman presented the swine breeding and swine artificial insemination issues in Armenia and invited Mr. Veltkamp to visit Armenia and help CARD experts and community veterinarians to address problems they face concerning the growing demand for swine AI at farm level. Thanks to PUM country coordinator Luit Kelfkens and PUM country representative Grigor Gazaryan all issues related to invitation and logistics were solved in a very short period and CARD’s application was approved. In September, 2013, PUM expert Jan Veltkamp visited Armenia to c...
May 06 2014
ONE REGION, ONE HEALTH CONFERENCE
The animal health sector has been the focal point of the state authorities in Armenia as well as in Georgia during the recent years, as a result of which different projects are being implemented financed both by the state budget as well as with the support of such donor organizations as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC). In May, 2014, the CARD Foundation, in cooperation with the Heifer International Georgia, hosted the “One Region, One Health” regional conference at the Tsaghkadzor Marriott Hotel, in the Kotayk region, under the auspices of the “Animal Health Management in Cross-Border Areas of Armenia and Georgia” project financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC). For the f...
May 29 2015
The RA President’s Visit to the Most Advanced Dairy Farm in the Region
The opening ceremony of the most advanced dairy farm complex took place today in the Gndevaz community of Vayots Dzor region which was attended by the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, the RA Minister of Agriculture Sergo Karapetyan and other high officials. The designing of the complex has started since 2012 along with the ECO Farm, CARD AgroService CJSC and DeLaval (Sweden) experts. Initially, the appliance of the advanced international practicesand introduction of highly efficient systems in Armenia was of high priority. The complex designed for 300 dairy herd, is technically in line with the European and American quality standards and management criteria. For the first time, a number of innovative technological solutions have been applied in the farm, such as: machine...
Jun 20 2019
Certificate of Appreciation to Mr. Jan Vieermann
Recently Artak Kamalyan, RA Deputy Minister of Economy rewarded Netherlands senior expert and volunteer Mr. Jan Vieermann with a Certificate of Appreciation of the RA Minister of Agriculture, for providing invaluable assistance to the dairy sector of Armenia. Mr. Jan Vieermann has been managing the Northern branch of the Dutch “FrieslandCampina” dairy factory for over 40 years, which has an annual turnover of 11,6 billion Euros and is one of the largest producers in the world. After retirement since 2006, Mr. Vieermann visited Armenia 9 times, with the project Netherlands Senior Experts (PUM) and provided advice to Armenian dairy producers. Among those were “Borisovka”, “Black Ox”, “Dustr Melania” and “Golden Goat&...
