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

print

share

Otar Shamugia participates in planting blueberries in the Sefieti village, Abasha Municipality.

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr. Otar Shamugia, visited the orchard of the Company "Geo Agro Estate" in the village of Sefieti, Abasha municipality.

The Minister, along with the Director of the Rural Development Agency, Mr. Davit Tsitlidze, took part in planting the blueberries.

The company "Geo Agro Estate" received GEL 250,000 from the Rural Development Agency's program  "Plant the Future" to plant a garden on 17 hectares. The company currently employs 100 locals and hires 200 people throughout the season in a freshly planted garden that meets modern standards.
 

‘’Blueberry is one of the new crops in Georgia, which was planted as part of state-supported programs. We have financed up to 2800 hectares of gardens, with a substantial part already entering the fruit-bearing stage and the harvest exported to other countries.

Last year, earnings from blueberry exports exceeded 20 million. The planting of new gardens is underway within the "Plant the Future" program. There is a significant demand for funding the gardens. Beneficiaries enjoy preferential agro credit to maintain and care for their orchards, which allows them to earn more money. I would emphasize that farmers' knowledge and usage of modern technology are vital for getting a quality harvest," said Mr. Davit Tsitlidze.

As part of the "Plant the Future" program, the cultivation of blueberry orchards has been co-financed with GEL 53.5 million on an area of 2,836 ha throughout Georgia, and the cultivation of 1,688 ha orchards in the Samegrelo region has been co-financed with 31.6 million to support the primary production.