What is the innovation of the startup idea?

Innovation: New biodiversity-rich cultivation system to cultivate endangered species in perennial intercropping areas.

The team proposes the introduction of a new system in traditional orchards, solving four main environmental problems։ herbal protection through an introduction of the on-farm method, improving the population of pollinators, biocontrol, improving soil quality.

Below are the details about participation in AgriThon1 and the Inno4Farm startup idea by the team leader Armine Abrahamyan:

Participation in the first stage of the AgriThon’s Incubation

– The AgriThon gives an opportunity to develop our startup – from the idea stage to business. We get the knowledge and skills we need, especially in business management and marketing, which is very important for the development of our startup.

– I especially want to mention our collaboration with mentors. They helped us to develop our idea. As a result, we were selected for participation in the second stage of AgriThon’s incubation.

The startup idea will help to solve the following problems:

• Increasing the yield of the main crop and obtaining ecologically clean crop;
• Increasing the incomes of the farms due to the increase of the main crop yield, reduction of the cultivation expenses as well as the provision of additional incomes from the sale of herbs;
• Providing quality raw materials and the necessary quantity of herbs in the market;
• On-farm protection of endangered wild herbs due to their capitalization;
• Improvement and conservation of populations of pollinators, natural predators;
• Improving soil quality;
• Transition from an unstable system of monoculture to the development of bio-rich agro-ecosystems;
• Diversification of agriculture.

Stages of startup project implementation

It will take 8 months to implement the idea:

1. Acquisition of equipment and logistics – 1-2 months;
2. To get seedlings – 1 month;
3. Cultivation – 3 months;
4. Harvest, crop sale – 2 months.

The startup will operate in B2C and B2B format. In case of B2B, the technology will be sold in local and international markets. In case of B2C, the raw materials of herbs will be sold, increasing the profitability of cultivation of the area and the sustainable use of natural resources.

The introduction of equipment will increase the number of herbaceous plants due to the efficient use of natural resources.

Team Members: Team Leader: Armine Abrahamyan (PHD, herbal expert, agronomist); Andreas Melikyan (PHD, expert, agronomist); Diana Sumbulyan (coordinator, graduate student of ANAU in agronomy); Mariam Grigoryan (Agribusiness, Marketing); Astghik Artenayn (Digital Marketing, Business Administration Student, American University of Armenia); Sare Galstyan (coordinator, ANAU graduate student in agroecology)

Startup activity address: Surenavan, Armash, Yeraskh communities/ Ararat marz

AgriThon is a competition/platform for startup ideas with innovative solutions in the field of agriculture, implemented by the ICARE-Armenia Foundation within the framework of the USAID-funded AGRI CAMP program.

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