News
A new hazelnut enterprise has been opened in Kakheti region
The Deputy Minister of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia Ms. Khatia Tsilosani, together with USAID Mission Director Mr. Peter Wibler, visited Eniseli village at Kvareli region to open a hazelnut sorting-drying-warehousing enterprise.
Annually 16 employed of mention enterprise serves about 300 farmers in the Kakheti region.
“Hazelnut receiving-processing and storage enterprise will serve local farmers and will enable hazelnut producers to produce high-quality products. The current year is especially important, because we are expecting a harvest of about 50,000 tons of hazelnuts, which will allow us to generate some money in the economy for export,” - said Khatia Tsilosani.
“Involvement of the private sector in the creation of the enterprise was especially important. The enterprise will produce quality hazelnuts and, consequently, will increase revenues. Increasing incomes and producing quality products leads to employment opportunities. USAID is always ready, along with the Ministry of Agriculture and the private sector, to provide technical support to such initiatives,” said Peter Wibler, USAID Mission Director.
The enterprise was built with the support of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Agricultural and Rural Development Agency, FERRERO and Georgian Nut Sector Development Project (G-HIP) (joint project of AgriGeorgia / Ferrero, USAID and CNFA) .
Operation of a hazelnut drying and storing (HDS) enterprise in Kakheti region is important for maintaining the quality of hazelnuts. Access to this service allows small producers to reduce post-harvest losses and get a high value product. The drying capacity of the enterprise is 1,000 tons, and the storage capacity is 500 tons.
Agri Management Group of Georgia Ltd benefited from the financial support of the state and received a total investment of up to 1 million GEL within the framework of the Unified Agro Project, of which 370,000 GEL was a grant and more than 300,000 GEL was a preferential agro loan.