In the frames of the ADC-funded “Animal Health Management in Cross Border Areas of Armenia and Georgia” project, two Private Veterinarian Association Consumer Cooperatives were established in July, 2013 in the Shirak and Lori marzes to promote the agricultural development in rural Armenia.

The idea of establishing Cooperatives occurred when CARD, in the framework of the ADC-funded AH project, distributed vet tool sets to 30 private veterinarians from the Lori and Shirak regions, which include the main vet input supplies the veterinarians need for performing their jobs properly. Also, in close cooperation with “Heifer Project International Armenia”, some of the vets, who provide AI services, received AI kit tools and bulls frozen semen and already carry out Artificial Insemination activities in the mentioned regions.

In the long run, the groups joined together and formed the so-called Cooperatives which are aimed at enabling the veterinarians to purchase modern equipment and tools; facilitating communication with Government and other state structures as a cooperative and making the Government pay more attention and assist the Vet Cooperative rather than a single veterinarian.

The first cooperative member meetings h ave already been held in the Farm and Veterinary Service Centers (FVSCs) in the target regions by CARD vet specialist Levon Movsisyan, charters were developed and monthly amount of money was determined for the member vets to pay for the Cooperative Capital.