BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 2
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
With the support of the Georgian government and the USAID Agricultural Program, a new refrigeration farm was opened in Kvareli, Trend reports via Georgian media.
Environment and Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili and US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan attended the opening ceremony of the Agrostore refrigeration farm in Kvareli.
As part of the Get to Know the Future program, the Agrostore cooperative has planted a 3-hectare raspberry orchard in the Kvareli region. The co-financing of the agency was 30,000 lari ($9,408). The cooperative also took advantage of the “preferential agricultural loan” and received 390,000 lari ($122,304). After consulting with the USAID Agricultural Program, the cooperative planted a new raspberry variety Tulamadzic. This type of raspberry is easy to transport and has a longer shelf life, so it is best suited for export.
The cooperative will work on a permanent basis 6, and seasonally up to 150 local residents. The cooperative used a grant of $72,436 from the USAID Agriculture Program to purchase equipment for two cold rooms and a pre-cooler.
The cooperative purchased 300 m2 of land and 180 m2 of a building with its own funds.
"We have regular, close, and effective cooperation with the United States on agricultural development. In recent years, the development of agriculture in the country has become a priority. Consequently, the state is doing a lot to modernize the industry. Against this background, cooperation with our partners becomes even more tangible and yields real results,” said Davitashvili.
As Degnan noted, supporting agriculture is a key part of USAID's work in Georgia.
“The new refrigeration farm will help farmers earn more and help create new jobs in the region. This refrigeration unit is another prime example of cooperation between the private sector, USAID, and the Georgian government,” she said.
--
Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356