New state programme offers co-financing of small equipment to farmers in highlands
Residents of mountainous areas of Georgia will be able to purchase small-scale farming equipment with state co-funding thanks to a new ₾5 million ($1.85mln) programme approved at today’s Government meeting. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Residents of mountainous areas of Georgia will be able to purchase small-scale farming equipment with state co-funding thanks to a new ₾5 million ($1.85mln) programme approved at today’s Government meeting.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia said the new programme was created to “support the needs of farmers owning small plots of agricultural land” in highland settlements.
The body added the programme would offer co-financing of the cost of small agricultural equipment by 70 percent under a ₾2,500 ($926) limit for the total cost.
Farmers will be able to apply for the programme next month.
The Ministry also noted the budget of the co-financing programme for harvesting agricultural machinery had been increased this year. It noted the budget was increasing from ₾7 million ($2.59mln) last year to ₾10 million ($3.70mln) in 2024.
The body added considering “great interest” in the programme, the percentage of co-financing from the state was set at 30 percent of the cost with the upper limit of ₾150,000 (55,562), with the new terms including grape harvesting equipment.
A total of 7,500 units of agricultural equipment and implements of various capacities worth more than ₾440 million ($163mln) have been purchased throughout the country through various supporting programmes since 2013, the Ministry added.
The Government of Georgia on Wednesday approved the climate change action plan for 2024-2025, which outlines mitigation measures in energy generation and transmission, transport, buildings, industry, agriculture, waste management and forestry.
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.
Georgian Deputy Agriculture Minister Tengiz Nasaridze last week told the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin the agricultural production of the country was “actively growing”, with export indicators also on rise both worldwide and to the European Union.
Otar Shamugia, the Georgian Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, on Friday met Janusz Wojciechowski, the European Commissioner for Agriculture, to provide information about reforms and “unprecedented steps” taken by the Government since 2012 to develop agriculture.