The international food safety standards will be introduced in five enterprises with the co-financing of the Agricultural Projects’ Management Agency and USAID/REAP
On the basis of the Memorandum on cooperation in the field of technical assistance between the Agricultural Projects Management Agency and USAID/ Georgias Restoring Efficiency to Agriculture Production (REAP) it is planned to introduce the international food safety standard, in particular ISO 22000 at 3 nut processing enterprises and 2 fruit processing enterprises.
Today the 4-sided Agreements has been signed in the framework of which the Agricultural Projects Management Agency and the donor organization shall ensure co-financing of the 80% of the value of introduction of the international food safety management systems.
The Agreement was signed by the Director of the Agricultural Projects Management Agency, Mariana Morgoshia and the Director of the USAID/REAPS, Luiza Manicheishvili, as well as the directors of the consulting companies and enterprises.
The assistance aims at introduction of the international food safety management standards and systems ISO22000: 2005 at the enterprises beneficiary of the project providing co-financing of the agricultural products processing and storing enterprises; Also, the assistance provides consulting trainings for the enterprises.
The purpose of the Agreement is to strengthen the potential of the processing enterprises and to support increase of the production efficiency. It is important that enterprises receive not only financial aid to upgrade the industrial infrastructure, but they receive additional technical support as well which foresees introduction of international standards for food safety management which will help to increase the export potential of Georgian products and search of new markets.
Since 2014 the Agricultural Projects Management Agency has been implementing the project of co-financing of the agricultural products processing and storing enterprises. Within the mentioned project 12 new enterprises have been financed. The state has already allocated a grant in the amount of $ 3 310 518, also, in addition it has ensured co-financing of annual 11% of the interest expense of the preferential agricultural credits - a total value of $ 3 839 482, taken by the beneficiary companies.
Since 2013 the Agricultural Projects Management Agency has been implementing large-scale projects aiming at long-term development and its goal is to foster an environment that will help to increase competitiveness in agriculture, ensure a steady growth in high-quality production and provide food safety and food security issues.