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Otar Shamugia: "We aim to receive better quality and quantity of the hazelnut harvest next year. The state hazelnut support program has this goal."
The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Mr. Otar Shamugia meets hazelnut fruit farmers in the village of Aketi, Guria region.
During the meeting, the Minister spoke extensively about the programs implemented for agricultural development in the last ten years and noted that the state prioritizes support for farmers.
"The support for farmers is a priority for the state, regarding adopting new, modern technologies, increasing knowledge, and making equipment and financial resources accessible for farmers. All of those mentioned above have specific consequences. We have had tremendous production and export growth in recent years, and this trend continues.
The economic progress is evident in the country - we have had double-digit economic growth for the last two years, which allows us to attract additional resources from the budget to implement agricultural support programs for farmers and entrepreneurs. Programs will meet the needs of farmers. The hazelnut production support program has a similar purpose," said Otar Shamugia.
During the meeting, the Minister also spoke about the state program for the fight against the Asian stink bug and noted that the government had allocated significant funding - and will spend GEL 30 million for the fight against the pest next year.
According to the Minister, the government also discussed how to support large businesses. By the decision, the state allows entrepreneurs to engage in the preferential agro-credit project and take advantage of the preferential agricultural loan for hazelnut maintenance.
"We export more than 70% of hazelnuts to the EU market. More than 100 companies are exporting hazelnut fruit to other countries. The state programs enabled entrepreneurs to establish more than 22 hazelnut drying and processing enterprises across the country.
Therefore, it makes no sense to speak about a monopoly, which, unfortunately, we often hear. We admit that some factors affect the price of hazelnuts. Firstly, the quality; Also, there are circumstances related to the demand for hazelnuts in the export market;
This year, due to various factors, the price of hazelnuts was low. Therefore, we decided to help and enable you to improve the quality of your crop and increase your income,” said Mr. Otar Shamugia.