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David Songulashvili Observes Peach Harvest Storage Process in Gurjaani Municipality
The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr. David Songulashvili, visited the village of Chumlaki to observe the peach harvest storage process. The Minister met with local farmers and representatives of cold storage facilities.
The meeting took place at the cold storage facility owned by farmer Soso Gioshvili, who has benefited multiple times from the "Preferential Agrocredit" program to develop his refrigeration infrastructure.
“At this stage, the harvest is in full swing. Storage and sales are proceeding without disruption. Around 50 cold storage facilities are operating smoothly. Government programs have played a crucial role in building this infrastructure. In Kakheti alone, 25 processing enterprises have been established with state co-financing.
In addition, to support the export of peaches and nectarines, the preparation and issuance of the required documentation is being carried out under a ‘one-stop-shop’ principle, coordinated by the relevant agencies. Representatives of the phytosanitary and customs services are actively involved in the process.
It is worth noting that agricultural products are highly perishable. Uninterrupted transport is essential during delivery. With the involvement of the Patrol Police, this issue has been addressed, and fully loaded trucks are now moving to terminals without delays,” stated Mr. David Songulashvili.
As emphasised, the government continues to support the development of storage and processing infrastructure. In the Kakheti region alone, more than 50 cold storage facilities—established with the help of state programs—are currently involved in the peach collection process.
As for processing infrastructure, substantial government support has been provided. Under the “Co-financing Program for Processing and Storage Enterprises,” the Rural Development Agency has co-financed the establishment of 111 processing facilities across Georgia with funding exceeding GEL 51 million. Of these, 25 enterprises are located in Kakheti, supported with GEL 11.6 million.
The Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr. Kakha Kakabadze; State Representative in the Kakheti Region, Mr. Giorgi Aladashvili; Head of the National Food Agency, Mr. Zurab Chekurashvili; and representatives of the local self-government, accompanied the Minister.