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Otar Shamugia meets local farmers in Sighnaghi municipality
The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr. Otar Shamugia accompanied by the Kakheti Region State Representative Irakli Shioshvili held a meeting with local farmers. In 2022, farmers have taken advantage of the benefits by using preferential agro-credit for growing annual crops.
"Increasing the self-sufficiency rate of wheat is a priority for us. We have communicated with farmers to identify their needs, and to determine what we can do to have a specific support project in Autumn, which will help them in increasing wheat production in the country, and ultimately will improve our self-sufficiency," said Mr. Otar Shamugia, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.
As mentioned in the meeting, the purpose of issuing preferential agro-credit loans is to reduce the cost of working capital for growing annual crops and to enable farmers to grow more quality agricultural products.
4,305 preferential loans of GEL 70.9 million have been issued to promote the cultivation of annual crops since March 22, 2022.
The Rural Development Agency is co-financing a 12-month interest rate loan under the Preferential Agro Credit project subcomponent. The maximum interest rate per annum is set at 18%, half of which, 9% per annum is financed by the state. Under the project, the loan amount per beneficiary is set at GEL 5,000 to GEL 100,000.
During the meeting, the Head of the Regional Environmental Center for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus), Mrs. Sopho Akhobadze, noted that the Centre is implementing three projects with the support of the Ministry.
The respective projects include the promotion of local wheat varieties, the introduction of new technology for sowing wheat, and using crop rotation to reduce soil depletion.
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"Increasing the self-sufficiency rate of wheat is a priority for us. We have communicated with farmers to identify their needs, and to determine what we can do to have a specific support project in Autumn, which will help them in increasing wheat production in the country, and ultimately will improve our self-sufficiency," said Mr. Otar Shamugia, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.
As mentioned in the meeting, the purpose of issuing preferential agro-credit loans is to reduce the cost of working capital for growing annual crops and to enable farmers to grow more quality agricultural products.
4,305 preferential loans of GEL 70.9 million have been issued to promote the cultivation of annual crops since March 22, 2022.
The Rural Development Agency is co-financing a 12-month interest rate loan under the Preferential Agro Credit project subcomponent. The maximum interest rate per annum is set at 18%, half of which, 9% per annum is financed by the state. Under the project, the loan amount per beneficiary is set at GEL 5,000 to GEL 100,000.
During the meeting, the Head of the Regional Environmental Center for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus), Mrs. Sopho Akhobadze, noted that the Centre is implementing three projects with the support of the Ministry.
The respective projects include the promotion of local wheat varieties, the introduction of new technology for sowing wheat, and using crop rotation to reduce soil depletion.