Agriculture Minister discusses cooperation issues with World Bank reps
The sides also pointed out the World Bank’s support in implementing projects in the field of agriculture, irrigation and land management, contributing to the sustainable and consistent development of agriculture in the country, the Ministry said. Photo: Georgian Agriculture Ministry
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Issues of cooperation in the water supply to irrigation systems in Georgia and the strengthening of the capacity of the country’s Land Management Agency were discussed at the meeting between Otar Shamugia, the Georgian Agriculture Minister, and World Bank mission representatives on Friday, the Ministry has announced.
Calling the development of irrigation infrastructure a “priority” for Georgia, Shamugia stressed the importance of donor organisations’ assistance in this respect, also highlighting the question of attracting additional financial resources to help farmers have “stable access” to irrigation water and increase productivity.
A new investment project of the World Bank for a large-scale renovation of irrigation infrastructure in the country - entitled Georgia Sustainability of Agriculture, Irrigation and Land Development - was also discussed during the meeting.
The sides also pointed out the World Bank’s support in implementing projects in the field of agriculture, irrigation and land management, contributing to the sustainable and consistent development of agriculture in the country, the Ministry said.
Additionally, Shamugia briefed the Bank representatives on agriculture state projects and spoke of the importance of increasing the water supply areas in the country.
Frauke Jungbluth, the Head of Rural and Agricultural Sector for Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the South Caucasus, said Georgian agriculture had “great potential” and stressed the importance of developing a sectoral policy to obtain ecologically clean agricultural products.
Challenges in Georgia’s winemaking sector and diversification of international markets for promoting sales of wine from the country were in the focus of a meeting between Otar Shamugia, the Georgian Agriculture Minister, Kelly Degnan, the United States Ambassador to Georgia, and Peter Wiebler, the Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Georgia mission, on Thursday.
Reforms in the forestry sector, air and water resources, waste management and trade relations were the topics covered at a meeting between Otar Shamugia, the Georgian Agriculture Minister and Carl Hartzell, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Wednesday.
Georgia and Moldova are facing “common challenges” in the wake of the two countries’ formal European Union membership bids after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Otar Shamugia, the Georgian Agriculture Minister, said while stressing the importance of a “positive outcome” of the applications for the two states on Saturday.
The Georgian economic growth is expected to slow to 2.5 percent in 2022 due to ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, the World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia Economic Update said.
A new report published by the World Bank on Tuesday said agriculture, water, and land in Georgia could be a source of “increased economic productivity,” including a transition from low agriculture returns to high-value crop production, if supported by targeted policies and complementary public and private investments.
Food safety and transfer of modern technology and knowledge to farmers in Georgia were discussed between Agriculture Minister Otar Shamugia and United States officials in Washington, the Ministry announced on Friday.
The Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia is launching a $150 million project with the Government and the World Bank to renovate and modernise amelioration infrastructure in select locations in the country.