ATG helps revitalize Sis village


ATG helps revitalize Sis village

July 24, 2002

(AZK Daily Newspaper, Armenia)

The Armenian Technology Group (ATG) Inc. carries out agricultural programs in Armenia and Karabagh. The fund’s central office (located in USA) Executive Director Varoujan Der-Simonian, who was visiting Armenia recently, answered the questions of daily Azg.

Mr. Der-Simonian said that the residents of Ararat marz’s Sis village (which is mainly populated with the Armenian refugees from Baku) applied to ATG Inc. saying that the youth of the village leave their homes looking for job elsewhere. As far as the company planned to implement agricultural rehabilitation programs in countryside, ATG’s authorities decided that it would be expedient to help the villagers by enabling them to work with the soil. The ATG company meliorated around 25 hectares of land near Sis village, thus making the soil fertile and possible to cultivate. The program was supervised by the company’s Yerevan office director Roger Benton. The Group raised funds in Diaspora, as well as received some financial aid from the US government.

Mr. Der-Simonian said that the foreign organizations will also help the village, but that the first step was to be made by Armenians. He also informed that artesian wells have been dug and irrigation was secured for around 150 hectares of land, as well as special kind of grass was sown which improves the quality of soil by extracting unnecessary salt from it.

Also the ATG Inc. produces high quality wheat seeds, which are efficient to sow in the territories with unfavorable climate and are bug-resistant. These sorts of seeds, which are bred in America, give as high as 100 centner (10 metric tons) of harvest from each hectare.

Mr. Der-Simonian added that there is a need for investments in the rural areas of the country, saying that a strong agriculture of the country guarantees a strong economy.

For more information about how you can help Armenia’s farmers, contact the ATG office at (559) 224-1000 or by e-mail (info@atgusa.org). Tax-deductible donations can be sent to ATG; 1300 E. Shaw, Suite 149; P.O.Box 5969; Fresno, CA 93755-5969.
You may also donate to ATG online.