Georgia is working hard to develop its regions, particularly in agriculture, to generate more production, stimulate local businesses, foster employment and encourage tourism.
The European Union (EU) has acknowledged this action and has expanded its support of Georgia’s rural development by helping Georgia establish a successful rural development policy that follows the best practices across Europe.
Georgia’s plans for the agricultural sector development include improving capacities, providing resources for better rural services and creating new jobs. Other planned action included non-agriculture activities, such as developing eco-tourism and supporting other rural businesses.
To help Georgia achieve this, the EU has provided €3 million (8 million GEL) and launched a new rural development program with Georgia's Ministry of Agriculture.
Everyone who lives in the regions cannot be farmers. Childcare and entertainment, guesthouse or eco-tourism also needs development so the people living in rural places can employ themselves and escape from poverty. Within the EU pilot projects these people are taught about how to create business projects, how to write a budget. The best ideas will be financed and implemented,” said representative of the EU Delegation to Georgia Alvaro Ortega.
The rural development approach recognised the unique features of each territory and how communities and local authorities could best use the available resources or opportunities for financial and commercial gain.
The program was launched under the EU-funded European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD).
Which regions will benefit from new pilot projects?
The program consisted of three pilot projects that would cover three municipalities in Georgia - Lagodekhi, Kazbegi and Borjomi. The projects aimed to increase public participation in civil matters, develop a varied harvest and provide resources to assist overall regional development.
A farmer shows her fresh, organic products that were made in a cooperative, supported by ENPARD. Photo by Agenda.ge
The pilot project officially launched in September in Kazbegi municipality, and in Borjomi yesterday. In Lagodekhi, the project is scheduled to be implemented in November.
In each region different non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will be responsible for carrying out the projects.
The NGO People in Need from the Czech Republic started the pilot program in Kazbegi, Mercy Corps from Scotland was responsible for the Borjomi area and Austrian NGO CARE will be responsible for the activities in the Lagodekhi municipality.
Borjomi pilot project
The Borjomi pilot project will be implemented by renowned Scottish NGO Mercy Corps together with Borjomi Municipality and Angus Council of Scotland with support from the Austrian Federal Institute for Mountainous and Less Favoured Areas.
The pilot project started in July 2015 and will be completed by September 2017. The project’s budget was €1.25 million (3.3 million GEL).
ENPARD implemented the eco-village idea in Tsagveri village of Bordjomi Gorge, where people make ecologically clean products. Photo by Agenda.ge
The new rural development projects will create Local Action Groups (LAGs), consisting of representatives from local authorities, the private sector and civil society, who will collectively develop and implement local development strategies.
We expect to have approximately 20 members in LAGs of which 49 percent will be from the Government sector and 51 percent will be from the private sector. So we will have people who represent the Government and different departments and also people who come from the private sector,” said Mercy Corps project director Mikheil Lomidze.
Also there will be a project approval advisory group which will unite seven people. The projection of the project is to contribute to the reduction of rural poverty in Georgia,” he added.
In Borjomi, media will also have an opportunity to look into the strategies, methods and innovative approaches in rural development tested by the UNDP and Government of Finland under their joint initiative with the Georgian Government in the Borjomi Gorge.
While implementing the pilot project there were several key activities that Mercy Corps should implement:
Project implementation campaign;
Constitute and train members of the Local Action Group;
Develop tools and systems for sub-project applications;
Seek sub-project applications in line with priorities of LDS;
Constitute a PAAG to assess sub-project applications;
Select 20 sub-projects for financial investment;
Monitoring of sub-projects;
Draft Replication Strategy and;
Present Replication Strategy at final conference.
Read about the Kazbegi municipality pilot project.
ENPARD’s role in developing Georgia’s agriculture
In total, Georgia is currently benefitting from €52 million in support to agriculture and rural development through the EU-funded ENPARD programme.
Georgia’s Deputy Agriculture Minister Davit Galegashvili said action had already been taken to develop the industry using local funds and foreign support.
Farmers in Tsagveri village say nuts are a high demand product in the local market. Photo by Agenda.ge
"We started supporting cooperatives in Georgia. We studied different regions in Georgia and created proper projects for each of them. For example, we have already opened a new hazelnut drying, storage plant in Darcheli, in Georgia’s Samegrelo region. Building this nut factory was part of the Government of Georgia’s plan to develop the country’s hazelnut sector. The development program also aimed to improve the social-economic conditions for the people living in Georgia’s rural areas,” he said.
"The cost of the plant was 750,000 GEL and it was financed by the state budget. This is a business for a 500+ member cooperative and not social assistance for the region. This is very important. We want to help the rural population to make business from agriculture,” he added.
"Before in Kazbegi and now in Borjomi, together with ENPARD we are trying to diversify the rural population’s activities and make them interested not only agriculture but other fields as well. As for agriculture, in this direction we also try to offer various directions so farmers will be able to benefit from various harvests,” Galegashvili said.
Source:agenda.ge |
October 30, 2015
