Georgia-FAO sign new four-year agricultural development deal

Georgia and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) are joining forces to further develop the country's agricultural industry in 2016-2020 by signing a new four-year agreement.

The country’s Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili and FAO Representative for Georgia Raimund Jehle signed a deal on starting a four-year program that supports the promising industry.

Georgia and FAO have agreed to expand cooperation in several areas of agriculture, particularly development of Georgia’s agriculture sector in general, transform and reorientate agricultural development under the new realities of climate change, ensure food safety, veterinary services and plant protection.

During the next four years Georgia and FAO will join forces to strengthen farmers in Georgia and help them enjoy the best agricultural practices.

Also, the four-year agreement will focus on conservation of Georgia’s unique biodiversity, wildlife and protected area management and efficient use of the system.

In May this year the new Bio Security Points were established on Animal Movement Routes in Marneuli and Rustavi, in Georgia’s Kvemo Kartli region. Photo by the National Food Agency.

Launching climate-smart policies will be another priority within the Georgia-FAO agreement which aims to develop agriculture and achieve food safety in a way to respond the climate change at the same time.

Animal health was another main topic of the four-year agreement; however in order to better solve the critical problems contributing to low livestock productivity and limited animal movement control Georgia and FAO signed another agreement that also involved the Swiss Cooperation Office in Georgia.

The $5 million project will include four main directions:

1. Livestock identification across the country.
2. Issuing the special document-passport for the identified livestock.
3. The unique identification code will be given to the farms, markets, butcheries.
4. A single electronic data base will be crated, where all information about livestock farms and animals will be accumulated.

Georgia became the member of FAO in 1995. Since then FAO has been focued on developing Georgia’s agriculture sector with the aim of improving rural livelihoods, increasing productivity and contributing to sustainable growth of the economy.