Forty five forestry experts from various international and national organizations, NGOs and other stakeholders attended the event. The workshop was opened by Garnik Petrosyan, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Martun Matevosyan, Director of “Hayantar” SNCO.

 

Garnik Petrosyan emphasized that the ”Afforestation and Reforestation Project” implemented by FAO and Hayantar will significantly contribute to the sustainable development of forest resources in Armenia particularly in terms of forest seed and plant production in a professionally operated nursery.

 

Martun Matevosyan said: “The new state-of-the-art pilot nursery was a considerable international contribution, which would enable Hrazdan forest enterprise to grow containerized high quality seedlings for coniferous and hardwood species”. He was convinced that the nursery would enhance the success of afforestation and reforestation measures, increase the survival rate of young seedlings and reduce the need for replanting of fail areas.

 

The FAO of the UN was represented by forestry experts from the FAO Headquarters in Rome and the FAO Regional Office in Budapest, Walter Kollert and Norbert Winkler-Rathonyi.  The participants acknowledged the successful outcome of the project, presented by Ruben Petrsoyan, Chief Forester of Hayantar SNCO, and discussed intensively different options for supporting the forestry sector in the future through developing a large scale national reforestation programme in Armenia.

 

The workshop participants also paid a visit to the new facilities established at Hrazdan nursery with the support of FAO, to see the results of the project, particularly the first forestry greenhouse in Armenia for the growing of container seedlings of both, conifers and broadleaves.

 

Walter Kollert added: “This project – although small in scale – has the potential to have a huge impact for the implementation of future afforestation and reforestation activities in Armenia.”

 

Through the upgrading of the nursery site to establish a state of the art a nursery facility – so far unique in Armenia - modern technologies and experiences from several Central European countries were deployed. The first seedling production using these technologies will start in spring 2013 and will provide planting materials from seeds from selected forest stands in Armenia. The latter ensures that planting materials which is most suitable for Armenian conditions will be available on the market and – once the nursery is fully operational – may replace imported plants of often unknown origin in future large-scale afforestation and reforestation campaigns, an invaluable asset  in view of the challenges related to climate change.

 

 

The UN FAO “Afforestation and Reforestation in the Republic of Armenia” Project is financed by the FAO Regional Office in Budapest (REU) and implemented by FAO Headquarters, FAO REU and FAO Armenia in close cooperation with RA Ministry of Agriculture and “Hayantar” SNCO. One of the Project objectives is to support the country in strengthening the national institutional capacities to contribute to the development of forests in Armenia through afforestation and reforestation and thus improve economic prosperity in rural areas and combat erosion.

 

  -   Press release