Tbilisi: The Regional Development Agency of the Georgian Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture has launched a new program. The program provides financial assistance to farmers who want to grow their crops using greenhouse farming techniques.
Information about the rural development agency’s new project “Georgian Vegetables from Greenhouses,” was shared on the agency’s official social media handles. The project will help farmers set up greenhouse sheds and grow vegetables.
According to an agency official the main objective of this new project will be promoting crops that can be grown throughout the year. This will be possible only when modern and latest technology is adopted throughout the country.
The program has the potential to enhance the production of greenhouse products mainly the crops that will be grown off-season as well. Farmers had a long-pending demand for assistance in establishing greenhouse sheds and finally the agency came up with this innovative project addressing a need that has been long-awaited.
Under the rules of the new scheme farmers can avail themselves of two types of financial assistance. This includes full financing or a grant on the interest rate for a period not exceeding 24 months.
This support is designed to encourage farmers to invest in greenhouse farming.Moreover the farmer must get at least 50,000 GEL but cannot get more than 1,000,000 GEL. As per the other program conditions total financing will be determined by no more than 50% of the loan amount availed by farmers.
Experts in agriculture said that the program would be very beneficial for poor and middle-class farmers. At the same time it also has the potential to create jobs in the agriculture sector.
This will expand the total greenhouse cover through co-financing determined by the state. As per an official of Rural Development rural Agency farmers can create greenhouses to substitute horticultural and vegetable crops with off-season vegetables. A total of 25 Million GEL has been earmarked for the successful implementation of the program throughout the country.
