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New hazelnut drying and storage plant to open in Samegrelo Region
Modern hazelnut drying and storage plant opens in the village Kok, Zugdidi Municipality.
The enterprise has the capacity to dry 1,000 tons and store about 500 tonnes of hazelnuts. 17 locals are employed on a permanent basis. New hazelnut drying and storage facility will serve approximately 300 farmers each year in Samegrelo region. Export is also planned for manufactured products.
The existence of a hazelnut drying and storing (HDS) plant is very important to maintain the hazelnut quality and quantity in the region. This service enables small hazelnut growers to maintain a high quality and high yielding crop.
“The new plant opened in the village Kok is the best example of successful cooperation between the state, donor organizations and the private sector. The Ministry will further continue to support farmers and hazelnut growers. All projects that serve the development of the processing industry will be continued ”- stated the First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Giorgi Khanishvili.
The new plant was created with the support of the Rural and Agricultural Development Agency of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, AgriGeorgia / Ferrero, US Agency for International Development (USAID), Georgia Hazelnut Improvement Project (G-HIP). The total investment is GEL 770,000, out of which GEL 285,000 is a state grant, the rest is the share of donor organizations and beneficiaries.
The First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Giorgi Khanishvili, USAID Mission Director Peter Vibler and Governor of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Region, Alexandre Motserelia attended the opening event of the enterprise.
Since 2013, with the help of the Georgian Government, 200 new enterprises have been funded within the United Agri-Project, out of which 24 enterprises were
The Rural and Agricultural Development Agency implements a United Agri-Project, which is targeted at the long-term development and aims to create an environment that will promote competitiveness in the agricultural sector, steady growth of high quality products as well as introduction of international food safety standards.