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The representative of FAO in Georgia, Raimund Jehle, visited the testing-demonstrative base of Jighaura

The representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Georgia, Raimund Jehle, together with the director of the Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, Levan Ujmajuridze, visited the screen houses (screen house) built by FAO at the testing-demonstrative base of perennial crops in Jighaura and learned about their work process. In a two international standard greenhouse insulator, high-quality mother plants of vines and fruit trees are planted, from which the basic propagating material will be distributed in nurseries.

“Propagating material for the main category of vine and fruit crops, obtained in screen houses built with FAO financial support, will be transferred to qualified nurseries for growing mother plants, from which they will be able to produce and place on the market competitive, certified, high-quality grafted seedlings for further realization” - said Levan Ujmajuridze.

Greenhouse insulators located on an area of 800 square meters were built within the framework of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Union project "EU Innovative Action for the Competitiveness of the Private Sector in Georgia". Within the framework of the project, support is being provided in two strategic directions - introduction of the system of certification of planting material to be propagated in Georgia, improvement of the legislative base and strengthening of the capabilities of nurseries, which will help them to smoothly transition to the mandatory certification process until 2024.

"The main purpose of the screen houses built by FAO is to promote the increase in quality and quantity the production of wine and fruit crops. Screen houses also have a demonstration purpose for seedling producer farmers’’ – said Raimund Jehle.

The process of voluntary certification of planting material was started in 2018 by the Scientific- Research Center of Agriculture, with the support of FAO. The certification process is regulated by the law, the purpose of which is to determine the unified principles of state regulation in the field of seed and planting material protection and to provide the market with quality seeds and planting material. The certification of seeds and planting material is part of the agreement with the European Union on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) and gives the Georgian producer the opportunity to participate in international trade.