Goat Industry Development Project
The Goat Industry Development Project was launched in 1999 by CARD’s predecessor, the UDSA Marketing Assistance Project, to help develop for Armenia an independent and economically viable means of dairy goat production, product manufacturing, and marketing through technology transfer.
GIDP promotes increased income generation for hundreds of rural farmers throughout Armenia as well as the creation of new jobs in high unemployment areas.
GIDP includes the following components:
1) The ARID Goat Center (located in Yegheghnadzor Town, Vayots Dzor Marz)
- Services
- rents high breed goats to farmers for domestic breed improvement
- artificial insemination
- breed registration
- veterinary services for cooperatives
- equipment maintenance for cheese plants
- Research projects
- breeding and genetic improvement of goats
- comparison of milk production between crossbred and purebred goats
- tick infestation control and possible diseases spread by ticks
- comparison of growth and carcass characteristics between crossbred and purebred goats
- Technical assistance to farmers, agribusinesses and students of agriculture
- proper nutrition
- proper milking procedures
- genetic improvement
- grazing management
- animal health and disease prevention
- housing management
- cooperative and financial management
- small enterprise development
- cheese making and milk handling technologies
Through successive generation crosses with higher producing dairy goats imported from the U.S., milk production increases on average from 1 liter to 2.5 liters daily.
| Domestic breed Weight: 35-45 kg Productivity: 120-180 liters Immune resistance: high |
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| → | Crossbreed Yegheg Weight: 40-50 kg Productivity: 280-400 liters Immune resistance: high |
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| Pure breed (Saanen, Alpine, Nubian, Toggenburg) Weight: 50-65 kg Productivity: 600-900 liters Immune resistance: low |
2) 7 Dairy processing cooperatives (in 7 villages throughout Armenia)
- Processes milk from the goats of numerous small farms
- Equipped with milk collection units
3) 11 Milk collection units (villages of 3 marzes throughout Armenia)
- Collect the milk of over 4500 goats from over 100 farmers
- Equipped with cooling tanks
4) Goat cheese factories (in 7 villages throughout Armenia)
- Produce various types of goat milk cheeses (e.g., feta in oil, feta in brine, buried cheese, Tomme, Lactic, Gladzor)
5) Youth programs (6 youth clubs from Vayots Dzor Marz)
- Provide education, training and activities related to goat raising for CARD’s youth clubs
