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Public hearing was conducted to discuss Georgia's Rural and Agricultural Development Strategy 2021-2027
The first public hearing of the draft action plan 2021-2023 and Georgia's Rural and Agricultural Development Strategy 2021-2027 was held at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.
The First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Giorgi Khanishvili led the meeting. According to the First Deputy Minister, all stakeholders should be engaged in the process of developing draft strategy and action plan, thereby, all important issues should be discussed together them, which will ultimately lead to the development of a comprehensive document.
In his speech, Giorgi Khanishvili brought forward issues related to the rural and agricultural development and outlined the significance of the strategy document setting the main focus on its political importance.
“New strategy document is a consolidated and updated version, which considers rural and agricultural development in Georgia in the next seven years. We implement state programs, that support rural and agricultural development in the country, furthermore, we aim to revive a village and present it as a business model, which will provide local residents with the opportunities to earn a decent living ”stated the First Deputy Minister.
As was mentioned, the state vision for rural and agricultural development is reflected in the new strategy and will replace the current agricultural strategy. The new document is in compliance with the long-term vision and budget parameters of the Georgian government.
The Head of Policy - Analysis Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Ekaterine Zviadadze presented main directions of the Rural and Agricultural Development Strategy 2021-2027.
The key performance areas of the new strategy are defined as following: increase competitiveness of the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, improve social economic status of rural people, rational use of natural resources, adapt to climate change, improve food, veterinary and plant protection systems.
The public hearing held as a part of the public inquiry process provided interested parties with the opportunity to discuss important issues , the Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Khatia Tsilosani, representatives of relevant agencies of the ministry, governmental and non-governmental organizations, civil sector and donor organizations participated in the discussion.
It should be mentioned, that the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture developed the draft action plan 2021-2023 and Rural and Agricultural Development Strategy of Georgia 2021-2027 in cooperation and support of the European Union, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Development Program experts (UNDP).