The visit of the Prime Minister of Armenia to Hakob Karapetyan’s farm in Karadzor village of Lori province was very crucial in terms of understanding the cattle fattening and slaughtering system developed by Hakob, over the past 30 years.

Hakob buys bovine animals and pigs of different ages and different body conditions from nearby villages all year round. Additionally, he buys hay and feed from farms. So he is providing critical service to farmers in neighboring communities. Afterward, he keeps them for a while on the fattening farm, applies all necessary veterinary services, and fattens them. Upon demand from high-end restaurants and supermarket chains, Hakob slaughters and supplies meat via a well-established network.

This mutually beneficial relationship ensures that animal keepers have a reliable partner for selling their bovine animals and pigs as needed, when they need cash, while supermarkets and restaurants are assured of a steady supply of high-quality and safe meat.

The widespread adoption of this model across Armenia will resolve the issue of ear tag removal from the animal identification and registration electronic database. Furthermore, it stands to elevate meat quality and enhance food safety standards—key objectives of the Animal Identification and Registration project, implemented by the Ministry of Economy and supported by the Austrian Development Agency.

It is crucial to underline here that operating slaughterhouses without the presence of the nearby fattening farms will be unsuccessful and financially unsustainable. Under such circumstances, it would be challenging for slaughterhouses to meet the market demand and supply high-quality meat that meets the quality and safety standards.  

Original source of photos: www.primeminister.am