Plant The Future - Meeting in Samtskhe -Javakheti Farmers
The Agricultural Projects Management Agency started the second stage of the state program Plant the Future on the 1-st of September 2015.
Grants Officer of the program, Mr. Levan Dolidze, introduced changes that have been recently made in the program to the representatives of the self-government body of Samtskhe Javakheti and also to the local farmers. Mr. Levan Dolidze spoke about the program, he answered all questions raised during these meetings.
The applications opened from 1-st of September to the Agricultural Projects Management Agency .Under the program the Agency already received 36 applications.
In order to stimulate involvement of the population in the program, following changes has been made to the program:
In the component of perennial plant gardens the minimum area of land was determined to be 1 ha instead of 5 ha in all regions of Georgia. According to a new ordinance, beneficiaries may participate in the program more than once, although the overall financing must not exceed GEL 100000 and the cultivated garden area must not exceed 20 hectares.
New plant cultures were added for the intensive gardens in the regions.
The requirement for mandatory arrangement of drip irrigation system for nut cultures was annulled in the West Georgia, namely Guria, Samegrelo and Adjara that provides beneficiaries with the freedom of choice.
The limit of financing was increased by 20% in the case of purchasing imported saplings.
According to a new ordinance the land plots, registered with various cad-astral codes but owned by the same beneficiary, may also be included in the program.
The state co-financing principle was not changed: for cultivating gardens the Agency will finance 70% of the cost of saplings and 50% of the cost of drip irrigation system; and for nursery gardens 50% of the cost of the establishment of the nursery gardens will be financed by the Agency. As a result of the changes made by the Agricultural Projects Management Agency more farmers will be able to join the program Plant the Future. The Agricultural Projects Management Agency has granted 14 applications at the first stage of the program Plant the Future. Under the program overall GEL 575889 of financing is granted for 89.63 ha of land.
Upon the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia the Agricultural Projects Management Agency started implementation of the program Plant the Future as of the end of February. The purpose of the program is cultivation of perennial intensive gardens and arrangement of modern nursery gardens in all regions of Georgia.
For two years GEL 15 million will be spent for the implementation of the program Plant the Future. Under the program it is planned to cultivate 1 000 1 200 hectares of modern orchards and 30 40 modern nursery gardens, that will facilitate replacement of import at the local market, and the growth of export potential.