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

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Otar Shamugia meets hazelnut farmers in Zugdidi Municipality.

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr. Otar Shamugia, together with Zugdidi Majority MP Mr. Irakli Chikovani, met with local hazelnut growers in Zugdidi municipality to get familiar with the ongoing agro-technical activities in the hazelnut garden. Local farmers briefed the Minister on the current agricultural works and expressed satisfaction with the hazelnuts support program.

"In Samegrelo, we got acquainted with the progress of the hazelnut production support program, which entails allocating 500 GEL per hectare to farmers for purchasing garden maintenance tools. The program is running successfully. Farmers have spent more than GEL 15 million, resulting in more well-kept gardens, which will offer better results in terms of production and quality. Hazelnuts are a significant source of income for farmers in West Georgia. It has excellent export potential. Last year, about 100 million dollars worth of hazelnuts were exported. We believe that with reasonable care and an increase in yield, we can double these figure," stated Mr. Otar Shamugia.

The state initiative for promoting Georgian hazelnut production will involve more than 90,000 farmers. Pest and disease control measures will be taken  on more than 44,000 hectares of hazelnut orchards. The program will benefit almost 45,000 farmers in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, where hazelnut plantations exceed 24,000 hectares. 
During the meeting with the farmers, the Minister discussed blueberries, a common crop culture in the Samegrelo region, and stressed the importance of the state efforts in the mentioned area. 

"Blueberries will become an important source of income for the residents of Western Georgia in the coming years. We funded the planting of about 2500 hectares of gardens, and the produce from these gardens will be 20-25 thousand tonnes, resulting in an additional income of 80-100 million dollars. We were able to do this through state programs undertaken over the years and will continue to implement these projects in the future," Mr. Otar Shamugia said.

According to Mr. Irakli Chikovani, the Majority MP of Zugdidi, when the "Georgian Dream" came to power, a significant amount of financial resources were spent on agriculture, which is evident to everyone, particularly those living in rural areas. Farmers have a real income based on their labor on the one hand and state assistance on the other.
Mr. Davit Tsitlidze, Director of the Rural Development Agency, and Mr. Giorgi Todua, head of the Hazelnut Association, attended the meeting with the farmers.