BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 6
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
The government will support Georgian farmers and will finance up to 50 percent of the cost of designing and installing anti-hail systems, wells and pumping stations, Georgian Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Levan Davitashvili said, Trend reports citing Georgian media.
This support is carried out in accordance with the state program Plant the Future.
According to Davitashvili, such measures are necessary to reduce climate risks and the dependence of farmers on them. They will be of particular interest to those farmers who intend to modernize their gardens.
The state will allocate about 7,300 lari (more than $2,500) to legal entity or an individual for the installation of a hail system in an area of one hectare, and in the case of an agricultural cooperative, this amount will reach 14,600 lari (over $5,000).
The program will also finance the installation of pumping stations and wells by 50 percent; however, the amount will not exceed 15,000 lari (more than $5,300). Regarding cooperatives, this figure will increase to 60 percent, but will not exceed 18,000 lari (more than $6,300).
The changes also imply helping farmers to breed bay leaves.
"Georgia had traditions of cultivating this culture. Export of Georgian bay leaves is growing. Bay leaves are supplied to Southeast Asia, as well as to European countries. In order to support the cultivation of commercial plantations, co-financing the cultivation of Georgian bay leaves has been included in the program," said Levan Davitashvili.
Agriculture is a priority area for the Georgian government. Large funds are allocated for its development and many programs to support farmers are carried out.
The Plant the Future program began in March 2015 and is part of the state program on preferential agricultural loan. It involves the state financing the purchase of seedlings by farmers for updating and creating orchards.
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