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

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Otar Shamugia: "At the end of the year, for the first time, the unified balance sheet of Georgia's land fund will be available throughout the country ".

" Producing accurate and up-to-date information on the condition of the country's land resources is a crucial requirement for rational land use and sustainable land management policy. We have started working on a unified database of land resources and have already deciphered land cover on up to 2 million hectares, aiming to complete our work by the end of the year. As a consequence, for the first time, Georgia will have a single balance sheet on the land fund, as well as the ability to use unified and accurate geo-information on land resources (land cover/land usage)", said the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr. Otar Shamugia during the presentation of the 2023 report. 

The Minister also discussed the steps taken to implement the principle of sustainable pasture management across the country, noting that Georgia's draft law on " Management of Pastures" has been developed and is currently being discussed with various agencies, which will provide the legal basis for sustainable pasture management, resulting in ensuring prevention of pasture degradation, preservation of biodiversity, improved productivity, and access by farmers. 

Notably, the state program for access to state-owned pastures is in full swing, with farmers leasing up to 17,000 hectares of state-owned pastures. 
In his speech, Mr. Shamugia emphasized the importance of conducting scientific studies for agricultural development, stating that the country has approved and implemented certification systems for seeds and planting material complying with international standards and a unified register of qualified seed and nursery farms (database software).
Seeds and planting materials will be subject to mandatory certification in 2024 as part of Georgia's commitments under the Association Agreement with Europe.

"Taking concrete steps to promote cooperation with farmers is crucial. You are aware that we assist agricultural cooperatives with appropriate targeted programs. However, we started to actively work on creating new mechanisms, such as producer organizations and producer groups, which, considering the example of EU nations, we believe may play a significant role in the market regarding demand-supply control, production planning, and delivery," Mr. Otar Shamugia said.