Economy
Posted:
4 years ago
ENPARD Stakeholders Focus on Climate Smart Agriculture, Rural Community Grants and Agricultural Extension
MEPA brought together the stakeholders and implementing partners of the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) for the 23st ENPARD Stakeholders’ Meeting.
The gathering aimed to share the updates within the EU supported agricultural and rural development projects focusing on the upcoming and ongoing initiatives on climate smart agriculture, agricultural grants and extension.
Ms. Khatia Tsilosani, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and chair of the meeting, updated the stakeholders on the implementation of the strategies of Agriculture Development, Rural Development and Agricultural Extension. She thanked FAO and UNDP for their support in developing Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy of Georgia 2021-2027 adopted by the Government of Georgia end of December 2019.
EU Delegation representatives, Ms. Ketevan Khutsishvili, Programme Manager for Rural Development, Civil Protection and Crisis Management and Mr. Georges Dehoux, Programme Manager for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Safety informed the participants about the ongoing EU-funded projects and upcoming fourth phase of ENPARD which is to be launched by summer 2020. ENPARD IV will focus its support on food safety, agriculture and rural development building on the achievements of the previous ENPARD phases and in line with the newly approved Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy for Georgia 2021-2027.
Representatives of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA) introduced the concept of the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) working group to be established under the ministry’s Environment and Climate Change Department. The working group will promote the implementation of CSA practices in Georgia and reflect CSA in the strategic documents and national policies.
CARE, PIN and Mercy Corps presented the results of the first round of grants in Borjomi, Kazbegi and Lagodekhi where the first three Local Action Groups (LAGs) were established under EU-funded ENPARD I & II. They highlighted the positive results in terms of number of participating beneficiaries, quantity of projects implemented and impact on job creation.
FAO summarized the first cycle of Agricultural Grant Competition under EU-funded ENPARD and updated on the ongoing public outreach campaign, which aims to attract farmers, cooperatives and small and medium enterprises to participate in the second cycle of the grant competition, which started on January 1st 2020 and will be closed in the end of March 2020. The grant competition page can be accessed at www.faogrants.ge.
The topic of the day concerned Agricultural Extension. MEPA and FAO updated the audience on the approval of the new Agriculture Extension Strategy that will run until 2020. To improve the quality of the extension advice provided to farmers, the Strategy proposes to establish a Network of Demonstration Plots in Georgia, that will facilitate the access of farmers to see in the field the improved techniques or equipment showcased in these demonstration plots. The Strategy also promotes a stronger coordination between the private and the public extension service providers.