Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia

Otar Shamugia: " In recent years, we have implemented programs which resulted in investing about GEL 5 billion in the agricultural sector"

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Otar Shamugia spoke on the  TV channel Maestro, ‘’Maestro Regions’’, where he summed up the results of the Ministry's sectoral policy and implemented programs .

"I have served in the position of a Minister for a little over 2 months, however, for many years, I have served in various positions in the Ministry, together with a team of qualified, professional people who are performing excellently their work.
 
We have implemented many projects and reforms both in the environmental protection and agricultural development fields. In recent years, we have implemented programs that resulted in investing about GEL 5 billion in the agricultural sector. "This is a joint investment of the private sector and the state," Mr.  Shamugia said.
 
The Minister set focus on the results of already implemented projects and noted that within the framework of the program "Plant the Future", the state-funded the planting of gardens on 17,000 hectares. In recent years, large-scale projects, aimed at increasing access to farming equipment, have been implemented in the county. 

"I will underline the program implemented at the initiative of the Prime Minister last year, under which, we have allocated GEL 50 million for the financing of agricultural equipment.
 
"Over the years, under the frame of the state programs, we have been able to mobilize 2,000 units of equipment worth about GEL 200 million, which is very important, specifically, to enable our farmers to cultivate their lands and agricultural land plots in the appropriate agricultural terms," - said the Minister.

 Mr. Otar Shamugia emphasized the support provided by the Ministry for the development of the product processing and storage area, noting, that, within the project ‘’Co-financing of Processing and Storage Enterprises’’, about 200 new enterprises were financed in the respective area.
 
"We have been able to increase our export rate several times, especially in the peach production area, which was resulted from the creation of the farm storage facilities under the framework of our projects. "This is an opportunity for farmers to earn more revenue," The Minister said.
 
Mr. Shamugia also touched upon the importance of technical assistance state projects and noted that, within the technical assistance program, about 150 entrepreneurs received state support in the introduction of the standards and branding.

"To make the results of the implemented projects more visible, I will name a few important facts- such as the production of the primary product, which amounted to about GEL 6 billion in 2021, according to preliminary data, also,  as a result of the processing of agricultural products, we earned approximately GEL 7 billion 300 million. 

To look at all of the aforementioned issues in dynamics, 10 years ago, the output of primary products was about GEL 3 billion 600 million; currently, this number has almost doubled; specifically, with regard to the processed products, in 2022, the export figure is a billion more than last year.

The state projects gave us the incentive and push to achieve these important results. We can’t help to look at the export figures, which amounted to GEL 142 billion in 2021, which is about GEL 700 million more than the export indicator 10 years ago, and GEL 200 million more than last year.
" It is important to see the dynamics of the export growth rate from year to year, which, in itself, will ultimately reflect in the incomes of our farmers and their social welfare," said the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.