PM highlights potential of agriculture sector at meeting with Georgian farmers

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia met with farmers of the Shida Kartli region of Georgia today. Photo: PM's press office.

Agenda.ge, 10 Jun 2020 - 14:12, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia met with farmers of the Shida Kartli region of Georgia today, talked about the challenges the agriculture sector faces and introduced the government's plans to help the sector.

Gakharia said that agriculture is an industry that needs help financially, and it is the second field after tourism to receive assistance from the government. 

The budget for assisting agriculture is about 300 million GEL. I understand that even more is needed, but the task of the responsible government is very simple, to fairly distribute resources available to a small country with a weak economy to all who need it. Today, this is the minimum we can do, and it should give us all the opportunity to save ourselves, keep working, and prepare for better times to come", Gakharia said.

As part of the government's anti-crisis plan for the agriculture sector of Georgia, 42,000 farmers will be exempt from paying irrigation taxes in 2020. Farmers that want to purchase special agricultural equipment, erect greenhouses or irrigation systems can apply to receive up to 50% financing from the state. 

In addition, all farmers will receive 150 liters of diesel fuel per hectare in 2020 at a cost of GEL 1 less compared to the market price. As of May 22, over 5,000 farmers have already benefited from the government’s agro-diesel programme.

Farmers which have land plots between 0.25 to 10 hectares will receive 200 GEL for each hectare. About 200,000 farmers will receive these grants.

Gakharia said that it is not easy but Georgia needs to industrialise the agricultural sector and increase productivity.

He stated that food security is critically important for Georgia and the agricultural production process cannot be stopped 'for a single second ... farmers must continue working and there must not be uncultivated land left'. 

Everyone saw that as soon as the crisis started, the Minister of Agriculture had to stock up on products, because neighbours and all the countries from which we were buying products were blocked and announced that the export was suspended", Gakharia said.

Gakharia said that agriculture has the potential in Georgia not only to feed the country but to develop exports as well.