Georgian army to be provided with local, fresh meat

Georgian armed forces will be provided with fresh Georgian meat starting this year per the decision of Defence Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

 Before the ministry announces a tender, a one-month agreement will be signed with a few companies which will provide unfrozen, locally-produced meat for the army.

 The ministry, though the involvement of the State Procurements Agency, will hold negotiations with local farmers to ensure a permanent supply of fresh meat for the Georgian armed forces,” the ministry reports. 

 The ministry says that in accordance with Garibashvili’s decision, the menu of the armed forces has been changed, and now 25 percent more is being spent on army provisions.

Georgian army was provided with local, fresh meat in 2015 and 2016. However, in the summer of 2017, per the decision of former Defence Minister Levan Izoria, the fresh meat was replaced by imported, frozen meat because of the "lack of local meat on the market." 

The annual expense on food for the army is about 40 million GEL (about 14 million USD), while the expences for meat only amounts to about six million GEL (two million USD).