Baku, Azerbaijan, August 31
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
The new Strategy on Agriculture and Rural Development of Georgia for 2021-2027 reflects the state vision of agricultural development and will replace the existing agricultural strategy, Trend reports citing the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.
According to the ministry, the new strategy is compatible with the long-term vision and budget parameters of the Georgian government.
The ministry held the first public hearing on draft action strategies in the field of agriculture and rural development, which was chaired by First Deputy Minister of Environment and Agriculture Georgi Khanishvili. According to the deputy minister, in the process of developing the strategy and action plan, it is important to hold discussions with all interested parties in order to prepare a comprehensive document.
Khanishvili spoke about the role of the strategy as a political document and emphasized the importance of both agriculture and rural development.
“This document, which is a consolidated and updated version, will determine the main directions of development of agriculture in Georgia for the next seven years. In implementing state programs that support the development of the agricultural sector, our goal is to present the village as a business model that will provide the local population with the opportunity to live a decent life,” he said.
Head of the Department of Politics and Analytics of the Ministry Ekaterina Zviadadze presented the main directions of the strategy. In her words, the key areas are improving the competitiveness of the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors as well as the social status of rural residents, rational use of natural resources, adaptation to climate change and development of nutrition systems, veterinary medicine and plant protection.
Representatives of ministries, governmental and non-governmental organizations, civil society and donor organizations took part in the discussion of the strategy.