Georgia-UNDP launch new two-year agricultual development program

Georgia is starting a 6.8 million GEL two-year program together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to further develop the country’s agricultural industry.

This morning Georgia’s Agriculture Minister Otar Danelia and head of UNDP Georgia Shombi Sharp signed a deal on starting a two-year program that supports the promising industry.

One of the goals of the 6.8 million GEL (about $2 million/€2 million*) program was to create a national agriculture development strategy and support its practical implementation, announced Georgia’s Ministry of Agriculture.

This two-year program is a new approach for creating tomorrow’s villages. The program will determine the policy about how to manage villages of the future,” said Danelia.

The new program will be implemented within the European Neighbourhood Partnership Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) platform, said the Georgian side.

Georgia's Minister of Agriculture Otar Danelia and head of UNDP Georgia Shombi Sharp shaking hands after signing the deal on launching the two-year program for agricultural development. Photo by Georgia's Ministry of Agriculture. 

Meanwhile the UNDP official said this program would be hugely beneficial for Georgia.

It is important for Georgia to increase the share of agriculture in its economic development process. Introducing new technologies, reducing poverty in the regions and increasing the income of the rural population are very useful goals for Georgia. This two-year program is an important step for developing agriculture in Georgia,” said Sharp.

Meanwhile, developing aquaculture in Georgia was something the Ministry of Agriculture has recently prioritised.

The Ministry was taking action to create development plans for aquaculture and the fishery industry in Georgia.

For this purpose Deputy Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili hosted the director of Eurofish Yana Afanasieva in Georgia.

Eurofish is an international organisation established to assist the development of fisheries and aquaculture in Central and Eastern Europe focusing on the post-harvest sector.

Afanasieva praised Georgia’s potential for developing aquaculture and discussed Georgia’s opportunities to join the international organisation for fisheries.

Another meeting was also planned so Georgia could learn modern experience and best practices for developing aquaculture.

*Currencies are equivalent with the latest National Bank of Georgia exchange rate.