The StartUp Innovation: Creation of one common reference laboratory for the purpose of quality control in agriculture through implementation of quality control methods and analysis of obtained results.

The team proposes, considering every resident of the country’s rural communities as a potential productive farmer: development of standard guidelines for different fields of agriculture based on the best international standards and use of laboratory resources operating in the Republic of Armenia as a common reference laboratory. Also, creation of a simple laboratory system for local farmers on rental basis and development of local guidelines based on standard guidelines.

Within the framework of the AgriThon2 we talked to Ruzanna Khudaverdyan, the Coordinator of the Quality Control System in Agriculture project team.

Participation in the first stage of the AgriThon2 Incubation        

• By participating in the first phase of the AgriThon2 Incubation, our team managed to accumulate considerable experience, which will greatly contribute to the further development and implementation of our startup project. During the participation, we also gained new acquaintances, which are indispensable in this field։
• The attractiveness of our project lies in the fact that it allows each resident of the rural communities of our country to be considered as a potential productive farmer. We believe that our startup idea will make Armenia’s agriculture more modern and profitable through the significant qualitative and quantitative improvement we offer.

The startup is to solve the following problems:      

• The implementation of the quality control system offered by us will allow to use the international best practice, to create our own transparent, controllable, manageable, and traceable effective mechanisms, the implementation of which in agriculture will ensure qualitative and quantitative improvement. Since there is no comprehensive quality system in both the legislative and agricultural fields of the Republic of Armenia, we propose to create a general quality control system based on the best international standards, standard guidelines for the given field of agriculture, which will make it possible to build the necessary substances (for example, the soil by the farmer, primary analysis of water, pesticides, fertilizers, cropland mass during plant growth, feed, water, etc. in the case of animal husbandry) with minimal local laboratory capacities, the results of which, combining with the quality control guidelines of the given sector, the farmer will be able to find the most effective way for the development and improvement of his economy. In addition, from time to time, using a common reference laboratory, the farmer will be able to check and verify the results of his laboratory analysis. Moreover, the system will also allow to study points that are impossible to carry out with local laboratory capacities. Based on the database obtained from local and reference laboratory facilities, it will be possible to implement and improve local guidelines by adapting standard guidelines. The local guide is a guide created on the basis of standard guidelines for each farmer.

Stages of the startup project implementation

• It will take a year to implement the first phase of the idea.
• We plan to implement the main part of the startup/idea presented by us in about two years. It can be divided into 4 main stages:

1. Development of standard guidelines with international standards, based on which a general quality system will be created. Discussions with potential beneficiaries – farmers and villagers – will then be organized. Clarification/correction of the collected data (clarification of the list of necessary equipment for the local laboratory capacities of farmers, development of the initial structure of local guidelines based on standard guidelines, etc.). The first phase is expected to take about 6 months.
2. Drawing up contracts with potential beneficiary farmers, acquiring necessary equipment for local laboratories, providing them to farmers along with primary guidelines, organizing and evaluating practical training. The second phase is expected to take about 6 months.
3. Drafting, adaptation and implementation of local guidelines based on standard guidelines for potential beneficiaries (farmers) in contractual relations. Initiation of cooperation on a contractual basis with one main and additional laboratories in the territory of the Republic of Armenia for the total capacity of the reference laboratory. About 6 months are planned for the third phase.
4. A comprehensive and radical analysis of the data obtained as a result of the previous three stages, on the basis of which revision and improvement of the general quality system, standard and local guidelines, development and application of a general mechanism for the involvement of new potential beneficiaries. As well as, search and attraction of new potential investors. Presentation of results obtained to relevant departments of the Republic of Armenia, presentation of general provisions of comprehensive changes in the legislative field. The fourth phase is expected to take about 6 months․

 

Team members: Ruzanna Khudaverdyan (team coordinator), Davit Davtyan, Artur Aghoyan, Nairi Grigoryan, Davit Matevosyan

Address of the startup: Republic of Armenia

 

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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