Agriculture Ministry launches $150mln project to upgrade amelioration infrastructure
The Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia is launching a $150 million project to renovate and modernise amelioration infrastructure in select locations in the country. Photo: Georgian Amelioration
Tweet 
Share
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.
Georgian Amelioration announced the news on Wednesday, saying the project, set to launch in the “nearest future” and run for six years, would help improve irrigation and drainage services and agricultural production.
Irrigated agricultural land area will increase to up to 27,000 hectares [while] [i]nstitutional capacity for irrigation and land management will be enhanced at the national level”, said the body.
The goal of the project is to “completely replace and modernise” management of amelioration schemes to modern standards, in turn reducing both operational costs and losses of natural resources, it added.
Infrastructure across Georgia will be boosted this year by the launch of 5,600 projects worth ₾3.6 billion ($1.37bln), with the country’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze discussing the initiatives on Friday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Agriculture Minister Otar Shamugia on Thursday reviewed projects in the sector for this year, from the budget of the Preferential Agrocredit Programme to financing for irrigation infrastructure and promotion of the country’s produce.
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.
Production of perennial crops in Georgia has increased by 33 percent in recent years and amounted to 600,000 tonnes, Otar Shamugia, the Agriculture Minister of the country, said on Thursday.
Georgia’s Deputy Economy Minister Genadi Arveladze on Tuesday said development of “quality infrastructure” was a “priority” for the Government.
Georgian Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze on Wednesday took the stage at the United Nations Water Conference to speak about the importance of “proper” management of water resources and alignment of global goals with the Georgian Government's Vision 2030 development strategy.
Georgian Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze and Loïc Fauchon, the President of the World Water Council, on Friday said they were ready to deepen cooperation in management of water resources and development of supply infrastructure at a meeting in New York.
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development will allocate €46.2 million for enabling development of sustainable agriculture, irrigation and land market in Georgia, the Ministry of Finance of Georgia announced on Monday.
The Rural Development Agency of Georgia’s Ministry of Agriculture will co-finance interest of loans taken out by farmers to grow single-year crops, the Government announced on Monday following the weekly meeting led by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.