Foreign Aid

state’s agriculture insurance project that was launched in 2014 only covers losses to harvests and not seedlings themselves.

In July 2020, a series of natural disaster events destroyed seedlings in several regions, including the Kakheti and Racha regions.

6) FAO announced new grant competition under ENPARD program

August 5th, 2020, http://www.fao.org/georgia/news/detail-events/en/c/1301683/

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), under the European Union (EU)- funded European Neighborhood Program for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD), has announced a third grant competition to support agricultural initiatives in Georgia. Accepted applications will receive amounts of up to 40% of the total cost of the investment, with the other 60% expected to be contributed by the beneficiary. Investments determined to have a high economic, social and environmental impact will be eligible for an amount of up to 60% of the total cost of investment.

The objectives of this grant initiative are to improve access to finance, services, equipment and inputs for farmers, rural households, cooperatives and other small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in rural areas. These improvements are expected to contribute to the increased competitiveness of the agricultural sector and better the livelihoods of people living in the rural areas. For this grant competition, applications requesting a matching grant to finance the purchase of a tractor will be prioritized. More details regarding the grant competition are available on the websites of ENPARD regional coordinators.

7) UNFPA, FAO and Liberty Bank launch rural women empowerment initiative

August 17th, 2020, http://www.fao.org/georgia/news/detail-events/en/c/1304302/

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Liberty Bank have announced a series of joint meetings in different regions of Georgia to empower rural women. The goal of the meetings is to increase awareness of rural women around issues like gender equality, reproductive health and rights, community participation and bank services that may be of use for women involved in agricultural activities. The meetings are scheduled to take place in August and September 2020 in Shida Kartli, Kakheti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Adjara. More than 300 women are expected to participate in the meetings.

Events like this are essential for getting rural women involved in social activities, for expansion of support networks and for increasing their ability to raise their voices.

8) Fruit processing plant to be built in Lechkhumi

August 21st, 2020, https://cbw.ge/economy/fruit-processing-plant-will-be-built-in-lechkhumi-with-polish-investment

GEL 2 million in Polish investments are expected to be leveraged into the construction of a fruit and dried fruit processing plant in Lechkhumi. Currently, investors are examining two sites for the location of the plant, although they have already committed to procuring raw production materials from local sources to make dried fruit and juices.