Tbilisi (GBC) - Through European Union (EU) support, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organised a mission of International FAO experts to Georgia in April 2023. The technical visit aimed to assist Georgia in developing a legislative framework for the nursery certification system and implementing CAC standards. The FAO experts held consultations with high-level representatives from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA) of Georgia, as well as its agencies – the National Food Agency (NFA) and the Scientific Research Center of Agriculture (SRCA).
With the EU’s support, nursery certification and compliance with CAC standards will allow the production of higher quality, pests and virus-free, true-to-type saplings, resulting in a more competitive agricultural sector. Certified nurseries provide export opportunities and contribute to overall economic development in the country.
On 6-7 April 2023, during the consultations with MEPA, NFA and SRCA, FAO facilitated the discussion to develop and implement the nursery certification system and the CAC standards in Georgia. The significant topics highlighted during the meetings were developing phytosanitary measures, inspections and control mechanisms. Georgian government representatives also held presentations about their work connected to nursery inspections and CAC standards.
Between 8 and 13 April 2023, the FAO experts visited several nurseries throughout Georgia and provided technical support for meeting certification requirements and CAC standards. The experts also conducted assessments and held relevant training sessions for nurseries about modern sapling production and propagation techniques, thus improving phytosanitary and food safety standards in nurseries.
“Certification and inspections are important for the development of agriculture in Georgia as they guarantee the identity, health and quality of seeds and propagating material. This will increase buyers’ confidence that they purchase a safe and healthy product”, says Dominik Papenheim, Team Leader Economic and Trade at the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia.
“Advancing the nursery certification framework can become an important milestone in Georgia’s agricultural development. Safe food and high-quality fruits and vegetables start from nurseries. By ensuring that saplings are true-to-type and free of pests and diseases, we can make a big step forward toward providing Georgian consumers with healthier, locally produced agricultural goods. Naturally, with the continued support of the EU, FAO is glad to support the country in advancing the legislative framework for certifying nurseries and helping them in meeting CAC standards,” says Javier Sanz Alvarez, FAO Programme Coordinator.
