Georgian Farmers’ Congress:
150 local farmers speak out about industry challenges
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A hundred and fifty farmers from nine Georgian regions met with Government representatives today at the second Georgian Farmers’ Congress to discuss challenges in the agricultural sector.
The country’s official decision-makers in agriculture, the Attaché on Agriculture of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Georgia, representatives of Georgia’s Parliament, Governmental and non-governmental sectors, international organisations and professional associations were among the guests of the Congress.
Some of the issues discussed today were:
- The influence of the food safety reforms on smallholder farmers;
- Challenges and perspectives of smallholders’ access to markets;
- The available investments, loans and subsidy mechanisms for smallholder farmers and cooperatives.
The Georgian Farmers’ Congress was preceded by regional meetings, which took place in April 2016 in nine regions of Georgia. The meetings with farmers were organised by the Elkana biological farming association, after which 150 delegates were selected to participate in the culminating event – the Farmers’ Congress.
The Georgian Farmers’ Congress was held in the framework of the EU-funded project Improving National Food Security Strategy and Support of Smallholder Farmers.
The project was implemented by Oxfam Georgia together with Elkana.
The aim of the project was to support the Government of Georgia as it drafted and implemented a national food security strategy.
Georgia will receive €50 million from the European Union to improve national food safety standards.
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A new phytosanitary laboratory has opened in Georgia to allow the country to strengthen its food safety and phytosanitary control on plant pests.
Top policy makers, civil society organisations, key stakeholders and international experts from the region and across Europe are in Tbilisi this week to discuss the current food and nutrition challenges as well as best practices in food safety.
The Government has launched a new initiative allowing farmers from all over Georgia to easily learn about the existing and new agricultural services offered by the state and how to better benefit from these agricultural programs.
"In the history of Independent Georgia there have never been so many opportunities for hard-working people with initiative to launch or broaden their business.”