EU and FAO gathered stakeholders from the public and private sectors to discuss the main findings of the evaluation of the National Strategy for the Agricultural Extension in Georgia 2017-2020. At the online seminar, international expert introduced the summary of the progress made under the implementation period, highlighting the main successes and challenges.

The main goal of the National Strategy is to improve the competitiveness of the Georgian agricultural producers by the provision of quality and cost-efficient consultation services for farmers. The strategy was developed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, with support from EU and FAO.

“We always need to remember how long of a journey Georgia has made reviving its agriculture. It is crucial to evaluate what has been done within the frames of the National Strategy, what can be improved, and which areas need more attention and resources. We are grateful for the support and expertise of FAO, EU and other international organisations in this process,” Mr. Giorgi Khanishvili, the First Deputy Minister of the Ministry for the Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA) stated during the workshop.

The participants of the work session noted that the implemented activities resulting from the strategy brought positive results, however, there still is a room for further development - to build more trust to the extension services, to integrate the public and private extension service providers, to improve access to quality advice and information and to develop the level of expertise of extensionists in Georgia.

“The sector of agriculture is not only important for the economy of Georgia, but for the social fabric of the country as well. Georgian agriculture is very diverse and has a lot of potential for growth and development with the right support from the state and the public sector. EU continues to support the process of the development of the National Strategy through FAO, working closely with the ministry and the Rural Development Agency (RDA),” Mr. Georges Dehoux, the Programme Officer for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Safety of EU Delegation to Georgia stated during the meeting. 

Mr. Dehoux noted that extension strategy should also address the widening gap between smaller agricultural producers and large-scale companies in access to services. 

The evaluation of the National Strategy for the Agricultural Extension Services for Georgia made clear that the main challenges and priorities for the future Strategy of Extension 2022-2027 will be the adaptation to climate change, irrigation, innovation, use of big data, mechanisation, marketing of agricultural products, support for the preparation of business plans and stimulation of entrepreneurship.

“The lack of technical knowledge amongst farmers is the main challenge of Georgian agriculture today. We are missing opportunities to improve the livelihoods of a sizeable percentage of the rural population. Only agriculture can drive thousands of people out of rural poverty. To do so, an efficient extension service, public and private, is fundamental to teach farmers how to produce more, better and in a more sustainable manner,” FAO-EU Programme Coordinator, Mr. Javier Sanz Alvarez said.

The EU is supporting agriculture and rural development in Georgia through its ENPARD programme. Implemented since 2013 with a total budget of EUR 234.5 million, the main goal of ENPARD is to provide economic opportunities in rural areas and reduce poverty in Georgia. More information on ENPARD is available at: https://eu4georgia.eu/enpard/