18 foreign and Georgian companies signed the declaration of membership, under which, the companies have joined and became members of the newly established NNLE Horticulture Training and Demonstration Center.
The foundation of the center is laid for the implementation of the first phase of the greenhouse cluster development project ‘’Imereti Agrozone’’ Ltd. Horticulture Training and Demonstration Centre Foundation Event was attended by the First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Mr. George Khanishvili, Imereti State Representative Mr. Zviad Shalmaberidze, and Director of the Rural Development Agency Mr. Ilia Tamarashvili.
"It is important, that training, research centers, the business sector, and farmers will take part in the management and operation of the new training and demonstration center. The Center is a membership-based organization. Within three years, the state will fully transfer its management to the members of the organization. This is a novelty for Georgia, this is the introduction of a European model in the management of similar organizations, "- said the First Deputy Minister of Environment and Agriculture’’ said Mr. George Khanishvili.
The construction of the Horticulture Training and Demonstration Center will start in Baghdati Municipality in 2022. The Training center and demonstration greenhouses will be arranged on up to 3 hectares of land area, where interested persons will undergo practical training.
The Horticulture Training and Demonstration Center will provide local farmers with the opportunity to gain modern knowledge and acquire practical skills which will result in doubling average annual production and extending seasonal production.
The new training-demonstration center is a non-profit non-commercial legal entity, which is membership-based and unites companies providing foreign and Georgian agricultural products and greenhouse technologies, services, and training. The main beneficiaries of the center are greenhouse farmers in the Imereti region.
The NNLE established by ‘’Imereti Agrozone’’ LTD will not be just a training center, but it is also a platform, where farmers will be offered some business proposals, that will meet all their needs and requirements. It is a place to build a supply and demand model. We will do our best to support this relationship and make it a lot easier:" said Mr. Archil Bukia, Director of ‘’Imereti Agrozone’’ Ltd.
‘’This is undoubtedly an unprecedented project for Georgia and it is very rewarding, that the project is being implemented in the Imereti region. We have about five thousand existing greenhouses which can expand their business and increase revenue. With the help of the respective training center, farmers will be able to acquire knowledge, that will enable them to bring their crops in compliance with the modern standards and export them to any country. " – stated the State Representative of the Imereti region, Mr. Zviad Shalmaberidze
It should be mentioned, that last year, ‘’Imereti Agrozone’’ received 28 proposals from 10 different countries to apply for participation in the Greenhouse Cluster Development Project.
The Greenhouse Cluster Development Project envisages the establishment and development of high, medium, and low-tech greenhouses, providing logistical collection services and sales centers, as well as processing enterprises in the Imereti region.
