EU releases €8m tranche to boost Georgian agriculture

The European Union (EU) has praised Georgia’s Agriculture Ministry for "meeting goals" and has granted the agency with an €8 million (about 21.5 million GEL) tranche to further boost the industry.

The tranche was released under the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) - a five-year program from March 2013-March 2018 to reinvigorate the agricultural sector in Georgia with thorough cooperation of the Government, civil society and farmers.

Yesterday the EU officially announced the release of the third tranche under the program, which had a total budget of €52 million (almost 140 million GEL).

The announcing ceremony and media briefing was hosted by the EU Ambassador to Georgia Janos Herman and Georgia’s Agriculture Minister Otar Danelia.

Herman said Georgia’s Agriculture Ministry had achieved its obligations by establishing 888 cooperatives and 54 Regional Information and Consultation centres throughout the country. This achievement contributed to the increase of the agricultural output by 10 percent over last year and allowed the EU to disburse €8 million from the EU-funded ENPARD program to the Government.

"This is a very concrete step further in supporting the development of Georgian agriculture to increase its production and continue the modernisation of the system in line with the Association Agreement,” he said.

On the same topic: Farming cooperatives key to Georgia’s European future.