NEWSLETTER
Issue 2 April 2015
ENPARD 2014: A Bountiful Harvest Agriculture Cooperatives:
Farmer Support:
Institution Training:
706 established, 700 trained
100,000 receiving consultation,
Policy Unit established at Ministry
in business organization,
52 information centres created,
of Agriculture, over 400 staff
50 received first round of grants
10 demonstration plots developed
trained, over 20 studies published
Agricultural Cooperatives:
Breaking New Ground on Working Together Just a couple of years ago, the word
unison towards a greater goal.
“cooperative” left a bad taste in the mouths of Georgian farmers, as it
The introductory agricultural meet-
reminded them of the highly unpop-
ings and events organized by EN-
ular collective farming of the Soviet
PARD across Georgia drew the
Union, called “kolkhoz.” By the end
interest of over 70,000 people in
of 2014, however, through the guid-
rural areas who came out learn
ance and support of ENPARD, many
about the advantages and principles
of these same farmers began tast-
of effective cooperation among
ing the sweet fruit of working in
small farmers.
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The benefits of Common Goals and Cooperation After participating in various development sessions, many of which have been outlined in our previous newsletter, over 3,500 Georgian small farmers came together to create 550 new agriculture cooperatives that will contribute resources, time, and efforts towards the common goal of improved production, processing, and marketing procedures. After a yearlong selection process, 50 of these cooperatives received grants from ENPARD, and many more will be awarded in 2015 with the number of participants expected to triple. The grants are expected to help increase the return rate of cooperative members by 75 percent and their sales volumes by 20 percent. It is also expected that about 80 percent of these cooperative members will
Almost 500 cooperatives established leading the way to new milestones in Georgian farming
enter new regional,
tional markets, set-
volved in beekeeping, milk produc-
ting new standards
tion, and cheese making), and in
and milestones for
winter 2016 for other farms (such as
Georgian farming.
those involved in wine making,
The first results of
greenhouse farming, and poultry
the grant-winning
farming).
cooperatives, are anticipated in autumn 2015 for some farms (such as those in-
national, or interna-
Results expected from ENPARD grants:
75%
20%
increase
increase
in return rate
in sales volume
80%
of farmers to enter new markets
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Farmer Support:
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Training Sessions and Hands-On Application of New Approaches
Building the future by raising awareness and a strong education Apart from resources, the next greatest obstacle to the modernization of Georgian agriculture has been the lack of knowledge in matters of modern agriculture and business development. Much of ENPARD’s effort, therefore, has been specifically allocated to the education of farmers’ matters that go beyond the practical skills of their trade. With support from ENPARD, the Georgian Ministry of Agriculture has been able to set up 52 district-level agriculture and communication centres across Georgia, with 300 experts available to help. ENPARD consortia members OXFAM and Mercy Corps as well as UNDP, Care and People in Need also published guides and informational brochures on the benefits of farmers’ cooperation in three English and Georgian.
Several thousand farmers participating
proaches in their farming through
in ENPARD’s grant competition received
a developing network of demo-plots
various levels of training from ENPARD
that ENPARD is funding. The United
consortia members on the basics of
Nations Development Programme
Agriculture Marketing and Accounting
(UNDP) has already set up over 20
in order to help them to better manage
such demo-plots across Ajara with
and promote their farms and products.
projects in blueberry harvesting,
Currently, 20,000 farmers receive reg-
dairy production, and hydroponics.
ular consultation at the ENPARD-funded
OXFAM has selected and contracted
Ajaran Agro-Service Centre, while
13 farmers for demo projects encom-
1,000 members of the Georgian Farm-
passing irrigation techniques of high
ers’ association receive weekly consul-
yield and highly resilient varieties of
tation through the ENPARD-funded
crops, among others. People in
agriculture information call centre.
Need has also begun a grant-application process for the creation of
Farmers across Georgia have also
demo-plots and plans to rehabilitate
begun learning how to use modern
the demo-plots of Kutaisi State
technologies and implement novel ap-
University.
300
20,000 Over
20 Over
experts are available to
farmers receive regular
projects demonstrating
farmers at 52 district-
consultation on busi-
modern agriculture
ness development at
techniques have been
ENPARD-funded centres
set up across Georgia
wide information centres across Georgia
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Improving Institutional Efficiency:
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Research Studies and Staff Training for Improved Organization
Leading the way with an Agriculture Development Strategy
of Agriculture received training in the new procedures required to implement the new government policies. More specifically, members of the Policy
The support and education of indi-
Group of the Ministry of Agriculture
vidual farmers and cooperatives
took a course in Data Analysis and Sta-
form only part of ENPARD’s efforts
tistics aimed at improving their profes-
to modernize Georgian agricul-
sional skills in obtaining, processing,
ture. Another effort consists in
and analyzing data related to agricul-
improving the efficiency of all in-
tural issues. The wider staff at the Min-
stitutions involved in agriculture,
ENPARD has also supported UNDP in
istry also had the opportunity to
as noted in the detailed budget
conducting several research and policy
participate in training modules on the
breakdown of our last issue.
studies for the improvement of agricul-
Prioritization of Value Chains, Analysis
ture, particularly in the autonomous
of Income Distribution, and Employ-
Through ENPARD funding, experts
Republic of Adjara. Apart from being
ment Distribution.
from the UN Food and Agricultural
distributed to government organisa-
All in all, 2014 was a very busy year
Organization (FAO) helped the
tions along with suggestions on how to
for the ENPARD team, and the second
Ministry of Agriculture conceptual-
improve farming conditions, these
half of the year has brought forth the
ize, draft and finalize the Agricul-
studies are used to attract the attention
bountiful fruits of the efforts began at
ture Development Strategy of the
of potential investors to both the agri-
the beginning of the project. With new
country, which has been followed
cultural and tourism sectors of Adjara.
cooperatives and policies already cre-
by the Action Plan aimed at its im-
During the year-long grant competition
ated, the foundations of a practical
plementation. The FAO also initi-
process, all the ENPARD consortia
farmers’ education established, and
ated a renewable database of
members (OXFAM, PIN, Mercy Corps
great interest in the modernization of
product prices, which will help the
and Care) collected various agriculture
Georgian farming generated both
Ministry of Agriculture evaluate
data through farmer surveys, all of
amongst farmers and the Georgian
and analyse the local agricultural
which has been collected by OXFAM
press, moving forward in 2015 ENPARD
market and formulate policy rec-
into the first survey-based analysis of
will bring more such results for the
ommendations.
Georgian agriculture to be published.
farming industry and general economy
Over 400 staff members of the Ministry
of Georgia.
Over 400 staff
With the support of ENPARD the Min-
members of the
Training
Ministry of Agriculture received training in new procedures
and government policies.
ENPARD consortia
Support
istry of Agriculture has been able to finalize the Agriculture Development
Strategy of Georgia and to set up the Policy Unit as platform for the discussion of major policy changes.
members
Analysis
published the first-ever survey-based analysis of
Georgian agriculture