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Within the framework of the visit of Czech experts, working meetings on plant health were held in Georgia

A working meeting was held in Georgia within the framework of the international project "Review of the Plant Health Potential for the Implementation of the EU Plant Health Regulation in Georgia". The project was implemented with the support of the Czech Development Agency (CzDA) and with the participation of an expert group from the Czech National Phytosanitary Administration.

The meetings were attended by representatives of the Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, the National Food Agency, the Customs Department and other relevant agencies.

The aim of the project “Review of Plant Health Potential for the Implementation of the EU Plant Health Regulation in Georgia” is to assess the existing capacities in the field of plant health in Georgia and identify the needs for improvement, including familiarization with and assessment of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in force for phytosanitary certification of export-import of agricultural products, phytosanitary control mechanisms, procedures for preventing the spread of regulated pests in nurseries, conducted studies, inspections and certification reports.

Levan Ujmajuridze, Director of the LEPL Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, noted that an effective plant health system requires coordinated work and joint efforts between agencies.

"The plant health system is one of the important components of the country's food security, management of certification processes, and sustainable development of the agro-sector. Such international projects contribute to the assessment and strengthening of our capabilities, as well as the gradual approximation to EU standards," - noted Levan Ujmajuridze.

As part of the visit, Czech experts, together with representatives of the National Food Agency, visited the Jighaura Experimental Base of the Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, where they were introduced to one of the priority areas of the center's activities - the process of certification of seed and planting material.

The guests visited the Integrated Plant Protection Research Department and the Virology Laboratory, where they were introduced to modern methods for diagnosing viral, phytoplasma and bacterial plant diseases, including the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, as well as current research and the results obtained.

“It is a great honor for me to lead a project that serves to assess and develop the potential of the plant health sector in Georgia. It is a pleasure to work with a professional and highly qualified team, distinguished by transparency and responsibility. I am sure that the results of the project will be practically important for the country,” - noted the project leader, Michal Hnizild, Head of the Seed and Planting Material and Plant Health Service of the Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture of the Czech Republic (UKZUZ).