The dairy farm located in Bandivan community of the Shirak region is now being operated with efficient farming technologies introduced by the CARD AgroService in cooperation with the DeLaval company: an up-to-date farm design, stalls, automatic manure cleaning system and state-of-the-art milking parlor
Creating job places in the community became the major incentive for the owner Mr. Davit Karapetyan to establish a small cheese plant in 2007. The milk was supplied from 5 nearby communities: Baytar, Tcoghimar, Bandivan, Amasia and Azizbekov. The overall number of the farmers employed was 15.
The desire to produce and process their own milk made the family get involved in animal husbandry and run an old dairy farm of 50 heads. Soon after, he realized that he cannot achieve more with the current farm; bought a space for the new farm next to the cheese plant and in 2014, approached to the CARD AgroService team for the implementation of the new big project.
Establishment of the modern farm lasted eight months. Upon completion of the installation works implemented by the CARD AgroService team, the DeLaval representatives Mr. Oleg Pavlov and Mr. Leonard Zigert paid a mission visit to Armenia to conduct monitoring activities of the installation site.
“We cooperate with CARD AgroServices for many years already, and have the same philosophy- to help our farmers in Armenia for future development and achievement. I am very glad to see a complete project in the Bandivan community. One crucial remark for the farm is the “farm management” which is not an issue of one day; it should be a constant process of both teaching and learning. Using the modern farming technologies, farmers should be open-minded, they have to use all those general achievements which we already have and share with them”, mentioned Mr. Oleg Pavlov after the site visit to Bandivan.
Currently, the dairy farm has 220 heads of cattle. This number is most likely to be doubled in near future. The number of employees in the whole complex is already 60; 45 from Bandivan, the rest from nearby communities. 600-700 tons of milk is processed annually; 60-70 tons of cheese (Lori, Chanakh and Suluguni) is produced and consumed in local market.
