Farmers to receive diesel cheaper than market price

Farmers which have agricultural registered land from 0.25 to 100 hectares will receive 150 liters of diesel per each hectare 1 GEL cheaper than the market price, said Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia earlier today.

In general, for agricultural activities, the price of fuel is critically, systemically significant, and we are working to address this problem not only in the crisis this year, but also in the coming years. I can guarantee that the price of agro-diesel will be significantly cheaper than the price of diesel in the market,” said Gakharia.

The budget of the programme is 40 million GEL ($12.5 mln/€11.5 mln).

The programme will start May 20.

Under the agricultural anti-crisis plan, the government will support farmers by other programmes also, which include:

• 200 GEL ($62.3 mln/€57.6 mln) grants for farmers for each hectare
• exemption of farmers from paying irrigation tax
• 70 per cent co-financing of insurance premium
• 50 per cent grants for technic, greenhouses, irrigation systems
• up to 80 per cent grants for milk producers
• up to 17 per cent co-financing on bank loans
• up to 15,000 GEL ($4,672/€4,318 mln) grants to implement international standards (up to 25,000 GEL for cooperatives)
• 70 per cent co-financing for honey and milk producers in Gori, Akhalkalaki, Dmanisi, Dusheti
• 90 per cent co-financing of vine and milk cooperatives

Gakharia said that under the agricultural anti-crisis plan about 200,000 farmers will receive support from the state and 300 million GEL ($93.4 mln/€86.4 mln) will be spent overall to help them.