Mr. Gela Samkharauli visited the Cooperatives in Telavi and Gurjaani regions accompanied by the Chair of the Agency for Development of Agrarian Cooperatives, Giorgi Misheladze to study the activity of the Cooperatives related to gardening, bee-keeping, vinery and crop cultures.

The Cooperative “Gile” members started production with American thornless blackberry. The initial 50 plants gave 4 hectares of harvest. They also have peach and apricot gardens. The Cooperative was established in 2014 in Gurjaani with 5 shareholders. As the “Gile” Chair, Izolda Kitesashvili stated, the Cooperative obtained the grant by USAID for fruit dehydrator. “State support and cheap credit were very important for us. It facilitate us to arrange fruit dehydrator and we already have interest from abroad and after due documentation, Georgian blackberry will enter the European market”.

The Bee-keeping Cooperative “Agro AP” consists of 11 members and is located in the village Vazisubani, Gurjaani region. The members enjoy the grant within ENPARD program consumed on small manufacture of ready-made honey.

The Cooperative “Bekebi” in the village Vardisubani, Telavi region, consisting of 5 members, holds activity related to vinery and crop cultures.

“Cooperatives are the most important segment of agrarian development. It allows solution of small farm problems, simplifies relations with fiscal institutions. Consolidation of land, financial resource and experience of Cooperative members is positively reflected on production and increased quality means increased incomes. The executive and legislative authorities try to support activation of this process. We try to provide preferences in all state programs. We try to assure the farmers that this is the way to advance”, - G. Samkharauli stated.

“Agriculture is a long-term sphere and this period is not enough to have complete picture but we already witness successful examples. We saw the incomes of the farmers from berry cultures. I would like to recommend to think in this direction as the world market has vast demand on berry and out country has real potential of berry culture production. We can be successful in this direction and not only enter the internal market and substitute import but to think of expert markets”.

There are 121 agrarian cooperatives in Kakheti region and 1474 cooperatives country-wide.