2019-08-16
Mamuka Bakhtadze, Prime Minister of Georgia met farmers in Natsatu Village of Zugdidi Municipality and spoke about the hazelnut harvest.
Farmers shared information with the Head of Government of Georgia on the spraying equipment received from the state and noted that several hundred tons of crop have been collected as a result of the agro-technical and plant protection measures recommended by agriculture consultants within the state program.
Current problem of farmers is the water supply for irrigation. Prime Minister of Georgia instructed the State Representative in the region to resolve the issue in the most efficient manner. According to the Prime Minister of Georgia, efforts will be made to double the hazelnut export volumes in the nearest future.
Hazelnut Salvation Program is being implemented with support of the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Ferrero and Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) Project for the Development of Hazelnut Sector in Georgia. Spraying equipment has been provided to the Hazelnut Growers Association by the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia within the program. Farmers benefited of them while conducting cultivation works.
Head of Government of Georgia also visited the Drying Facility of the Hazelnut Growers Association together with Levan Davitashvili, Minister of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia and spoke with farmers. Enterprise deploying advanced technologies and standards of operation currently processes almost 70 tons.
Referred Warehouse and Drying Facility admits 1 000 tons of hazelnut for drying and 500 tons of hazelnut for storage on a permanent basis. Enterprise was incorporated in 2018 with a co-financing of the USAID, Georgia Hazelnut Improvement Project (G-HIP), Hazelnut Growers Association of Georgia and AgriGeorgia-Ferrero.
Prime Minister's Press Office