The Investment Guide to Be Finalized in Two Months
Georgia produces about 90 percent of all types of agricultural crops found across the globe - a privilege enjoyed by few other countries. Therefore, we must make use of these resources.
The Ministry of Agriculture is working on an investment guide that will provide interested farmers and investors with an analysis of soil and detailed information on crops which can potentially be cultivated in different parts of Georgia. But what stage is the work on this document at, and what kind of information will it contain? Deputy Minister of Agriculture Gocha Tsopurishvili provides www.eugeorgia.info with answers to these questions.
A: Let us start with Kazbegi. At this point, we have full information from every district in this region, such as mapping, the results of soil analysis, landscape data, and which types of crops are grown or could potentially to be cultivated. We also have demographic data, a full description of infrastructure, including roads, power, natural gas supplies, and irrigation systems. We also have an analytical section containing market studies and information on new opportunities. This information is developed by sector commissions, of which there are 17 operating at the ministry at this point, in fields such as animal husbandry, fishing, and potato cultivation.
No document of this type has previously been created, and it is an important and detailed resource. The potato farming section alone, for example, contains 147 pages. The document suggests areas to grow organic potatoes and recommended locations for the use of particular types of seeds. In terms of potato farming, Akhalkalaki is unmatched. It is perfect for growing potatoes. At the same time, we are trying to ensure crop alteration. After growing potatoes one year, wheat or barley should be cultivated in their place the following year. Letting the soil take a break, means both crops benefit. Growing potatoes may be more profitable than barley for farmers, but it should be explained that the land must get some rest. When potatoes are sown in one land lot for seven years in a row, certain diseases will inevitably emerge. For example, in Bolnisi, early potatoes are grown and must be harvested quickly, since the high temperature later causes different diseases. This is why potato harvesting must be organized properly in this region, and late or medium-early maturing potatoes (varieties that mature in 2-3 months) should not be planted there.
The goal is to provide local farmers and foreign investors with full and objective information on the current state of affairs and opportunities in Georgian agriculture.
Q: In an interview with us, the Minister of Agriculture stated that this guide will contain a list of crops harvested in different regions and recommended by the ministry. What criteria are used to select the recommended crops? Which crops would you recommend in Kakheti, for example?
A: The ultimate goal of the ministry is to inform people which crops we believe to be most suitable for one region or another, depending on market studies in different areas and local landscapes and climate conditions. The final decision must be made based on a marketing study that tells us which crops must be grown and in what quantities. We are working on this study. The whole agricultural process is somewhat chaotic at this point. This is not how European states work. They know what to grow and where, in what quantities and which markets the end product must be delivered to. Our document must be oriented towards this goal; we can’t encourage people to grow products that do not sell.
In Kakheti, besides viticulture, cultivating fruit such as peaches, for example, is also big. There is one village, Chumlaki, which focuses exclusively on peach cultivation, nectarines, to be precise. All companies involved in exporting peaches visited Chumlaki and bought every single peach there. Ultimately, the idea is to know that if some villages are best suited for growing apples, as long as there are suitable varieties that are in demand, their apple production should be maximalised.
Georgia produces about 90 percent of all types of agricultural crops found across the globe - a privilege enjoyed by few other countries. Therefore, we must make use of these resources.
Q: When will the document be available for stakeholders?
A: Refining and bringing the existing material to presentable form will take up to 2 months. A vast amount of material has been collected, and we do not want to miss anything. We want it to contain in-depth information and we don’t want to make it overwhelming, so we are taking our time.
This information will be uploaded on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture in the form of an interactive map. A brochure containing the information may also be published and translated into English.
