The company "Tichi" started producing wood chips and briquettes with the financial support of the Rural Development Program in the village Orbeti, Tetritskaro Municipality. The capacity of the enterprise is processing of 6-8 tons of raw materials per hour. The total investment made to set up the enterprise is more than GEL 200,000, from which GEL 165,000 is a rural development program grant. The enterprise employs 14 locals. During the winter period, public schools operating in Dmanisi and Bolnisi municipalities will be supplied with briquettes produced by the company "Tichi".

Ilia Tamarashvili, Director of the Rural Development Agency, and Ketevan Khutsishvili, Program Manager for Rural Development, Civil Emergencies and Crisis Management for the EU Delegation to Georgia, visited the village of Orbeti, where they got acquainted with the work process in the newly opened enterprise.

The Rural Development Program is implemented by the Rural Development Agency (RDA) with the support of the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) within the framework of the European Neighborhood Program for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD).

"Rural Development Program" is being implemented in Keda, Khulo, Borjomi, Akhalkalaki, Tetritskaro, Kazbegi, Lagodekhi and Dedoplistskaro municipalities. The program aims to support the development of rural non-agricultural entrepreneurial activities. 48 projects have been funded under the program, the total value of the investment exceeds 7 million GEL, the co-financing is more than 5 million GEL.