Tbilisi (GBC) – Through the support of the European Union (EU) and Sweden under the European Neighborhood Programme on Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) IV, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has provided 102 Georgian dairy farmers with food safety-related equipment to improve their production practices and quality standards. They are eligible to a matching grant scheme, ongoing until 31 December 2024, within the framework of the Programme.  

FAO’s intervention through support packages aims to provide smallholder women producers of milk and dairy products with the means and opportunity to improve food safety conditions at the farm level, thus reducing any potential foodborne risks for final consumers.

The ongoing EU and Sweden-funded matching grant opportunity is being offered in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, as well as in Adigeni, Gori, Samtredia, and Tsalka municipalities. 

The support package is available for dairy women farmers who:

  • Own between six and 20 cows;
  • Have attended FAO Georgia’s food safety training sessions implemented under the EU and Sweden-funded ENPARD IV.

Notably, FAO’s food safety training sessions are offered regularly in the regions and municipalities listed above. Hence, interested women dairy farmers with six to twenty cows who have not yet attended these educational meetings can do so in the coming months to become eligible to apply for such matching grant opportunities.

The support package implies co-funding the following dairy production inventory:

  • Portable milking machines;
  • Cooling tanks with a maximum capacity of 500 L;
  • Pasteurisers with a maximum capacity of 500 L;
  • Portable milk analysers.

“With the matching grants opportunities, we are providing smallholder women farmers with an opportunity to enhance their production efficiency, food safety, and output quality. This way, we are supporting farmers in becoming more competitive on the national and, possibly, international markets while also paving a path towards ensuring improved access to safe, high-quality, nutritious foods for final consumers. Most importantly, the food safety equipment that we deliver to dairy women farmers can support them in putting into practice the knowledge gained through FAO food safety training sessions”, says Guido Agostinucci, FAO Programme Manager. 

“Women lead the dairy sector in Georgia, and 102 professionals are now empowered to produce more, better, and higher quality products with improved efficiency. Notably, the equipment delivered to the ENPARD IV grantees is now in the safe hands of knowledgeable farmers ensuring their dairy products meet the food safety and quality standards. As part of the ongoing matching grant cycle, I look forward to witnessing more women farmers being provided with such investment opportunity to diversify and increase their income and to advance the Georgian dairy sector and its contribution to the rural economy.” Denis Reiss, Programme Officer for Sustainable Food Systems at the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia.

“Improved access to agricultural equipment that advances production efficiency and food safety is truly a step forward for smallholder women farmers who are focused on advancing their agribusinesses. Under ENPARD IV, we are empowering a network of such women.  Added to the knowledge-sharing platforms, the ongoing matching grant opportunity gives them the possibility to make dairy production processes faster and safer. This leaves more time for rural women to accomplish other goals as well while becoming more competitive on the national market,” says Elisabet Brandberg, Head of Development Cooperation/Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden.

More information about the ongoing grant opportunities for smallholder women dairy farmers is available on faogrants.ge/sp5.

About the European Union

For more than 30 years, the European Union has built a close partnership with Georgia, supporting its development through knowledge and experience sharing, expertise, innovation and financial support. The relationship between the EU and the citizens of Georgia is based on shared values of peace, freedom, democracy, human rights and inclusive economic growth. More about the EU’s support in Georgia https://eu4georgia.eu/the-european-union-in-georgia/

About ENPARD

The European Union supports rural development in Georgia through its ENPARD Programme. Aiming to reduce rural poverty, ENPARD has been implemented since 2013. The Programme started by supporting the development of national agriculture potential. Subsequently, it also concentrated on creating economic opportunities for rural populations in Georgia. Since 2021, the Programme has also been working on improving food safety in the country, with additional support from Sweden and with FAO and the Czech Development Agency as the main implementers of this food safety component under ENPARD IV.

Contact: Guram Saqvarelidze, FAO Communication Specialist; guram.saqvarelidze@fao.org, +995558493891