Armenia’s Water to Market - Farmer Training Activity Evaluation
Project Description
The goal of the MCC Armenia Compact is to increase household income and reduce poverty in rural Armenia through improved performance of the country’s agricultural sector. Armenia plans to achieve this goal through a five-year program of strategic investments in rural roads, irrigation infrastructure and technical and financial assistance to improve the supply of water and to support farmers and agribusinesses.
As part of the Water-to-Market Activity under the Compact’s Irrigated Agriculture Project, Armenian farmers will receive training in on-farm water management and high-value agriculture, plus the possibility to access credit.
For information regarding the MCC Armenia Compact program, including certain modifications to the scope of the program, please see the Armenia Country Page and related Quarterly Status Reports.
Logic Diagram
Evaluation Description
The impact evaluation of the training will use a randomized design to measure the impact of farmer training on their agricultural practices, productivity and household income. Villages where the training program will be carried out were randomly assigned to a treatment group that received the program in the second year of the Compact or a control group that will receive the training in Year 5.
Data Collection
MCA-Armenia has contracted a local Armenian firm to collect the data for this impact assessment. The Farming Practices Survey will sample approximately 5,000 farming households in treatment and control communities. The baseline was completed in January 2008 and follow-up surveys will be completed in 2009 and 2011.