EU, FAO, Ministry of Agriculture unlock 3.2 mln GEL in funding to assist farmers during coronavirus crisis in Georgia
Until 30 May, the Emergency Response Programme is open to all farmers who want to grow vegetables, roots, tubers and berries in Georgia with drip irrigation technologies. Photo: EU Delegation to Georgia.
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Farmers in 22 municipalities of Georgia will have the opportunity to obtain co-financing under a 3.2 million GEL (about $1m/€0.92m) grant programme offered by the European Union (EU), the Agriculture Ministry of Georgia and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for the purchase and installation of modern drip irrigation systems.
Until 30 May, the Emergency Response Programme is open to all farmers who want to grow vegetables, roots, tubers and berries in Georgia with drip irrigation technologies.
The EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Harzell posted on Twitter:
Food security is key. #EU w/ @FAO+@agricultureGEO launch over GEL 3.2 million in grants to quickly help Georgian farmers increase their vegetable production.
— Carl Hartzell (@CarlHartzellEU) May 15, 2020
➡️https://t.co/yAwsJmtWA7#EU4Georgia #StrongerTogether #TeamEurope pic.twitter.com/r9c2KtUvTQ
The grants can be obtained by farmers in the municipalities of Lagodekhi, Kvareli, Gurjaani, Dedoplistskaro, Signagi, Tetritskaro, Marneuli, Bolnisi, Tsalka, Dmanisi, Gardabani, Akhalkalaki, Ninotsminda, Borjomi, Akhaltsikhe, Aspindza, Kazbegi, Dusheti, Keda, Khelvachauri, Khulo and Shuakhevi.
The programme will cover 75% of the total investment, including installation costs for drip irrigation solutions. The grant amount for each beneficiary is limited up to $5,000 (equivalent in Georgian lari).
We are still on time to support the Georgian farmers during this season, and the installation of irrigation solutions will allow them to increase their production of vegetables and other crops, and to ensure that Georgia will better cope with any negative impact that may come as a result of the COVID pandemic”, said Javier Sanz Alvarez, Coordinator of FAO-EU Projects in Georgia.
Georgian Deputy Agriculture Minister Khatia Tsilosani said that the Georgian government is collaborating with the EU and partner organisations to support the continuous progress of rural and agricultural development in the country.
Today, the whole world including Georgia is facing economic challenges caused by COVID-19 pandemic. We are working hard to prevent a food crisis in the country. Our ministry, with support from partners and donors managed to reflect required changes in the ongoing programmes. We will support Georgian farmers to implement the projects which will ensure uninterrupted agricultural activities and increased food production in the country," Tsilosani said.
This new programme is part of the EU’s broader grant initiative supporting Georgian farmers with matching production grants, the total of which amounts to more than 19 million GEL (about $5.91m/€5.45m). The initiative is implemented under the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agricultural and Rural Development (ENPARD).
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia announced today that 42,000 farmers will be exempt from paying irrigation taxes in 2020.
Farmers which have land plots between 0.25 to 10 hectares will receive 200 GEL for each hectare, said Minister of Agriculture Levan Davitashvili earlier today.
The European Union (EU), Georgia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have issued grants for a total amount of 2.2 million GEL (about $690,651/€641,567) to support food production and security in Georgia amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Georgian frontline health workers have received 7,500 protective face shields produced by Georgian company CaucasPack from the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme. UNDP, with assistance from the EU and the US, is also ensuring that protective equipment and other medical supplies are provided to Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia ‘to mitigate COVID-19 risks’.
The Council of the European Union has adopted a decision to provide €150 million in macro-financial assistance package to help Georgia ‘cope with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic’. Georgia is among the ten enlargement and neighbourhood partners of the EU which will receive the financial assistance 'in the form of loans on highly favourable terms'.
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.
Farmers in Georgia will have the opportunity to obtain co-financing under a 2 million GEL grant programme offered by the European Union (EU), the Agriculture Ministry of Georgia and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for the purchase and installation of modern drip irrigation systems.
A new farm established in western Georgia with support of the government will export 45 tons of snails to Italy this year.
Eleven municipalities in Georgia have been awarded 5 million GEL in grants for local infrastructure and business development as part of a programme to support the integrated development of Kakheti, Imereti, Guria and Racha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti, announces the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia.
The European Union (EU) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) have assisted Georgian eco-migrant Giorgi Abuladze to expand his broccoli farm.
The EU Ambassador to Georgia, Carl Hartzell and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, David Zalkaliani signed an agreement today to kick off the fourth phase of the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD IV), worth €55 million (about 125 million GEL).
The European Union and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation awarded grants amounting to three million GEL to Georgian farmers in 2020, with the next stage of grants worth 2.6 million GEL in the process of being delivered, an end-of-year release by the international bodies said on Tuesday.
Infrastructure projects are being conducted in six Georgian municipalities in the Imereti and Guria regions with a value of 2.5 million GEL, which are part of the first phase of the Georgian government’s 220 million GEL Pilot Integrated Regional Development Grant Programme (PiRDP), of which 186 million GEL comes from EU funding.
Lawrence Meredith, Director for Neighbourhood East and Institution Building at the European Commission, is visiting Tbilisi, where he said EU financial aid for Georgia should be accompanied by the country’s ‘clear progress’ in reforming the judiciary, public governance, and protection of human rights.
A new Georgian processing plant will produce 1,000 tonnes of snails annually for export to France, the Ministry of Economy announced on Wednesday.