Multi-million GEL greenhouse begins operating in Georgia

A multi-million dollar greenhouse has opened in the Kapanakhchi village in Georgia's Gardabani region within the framework of the state program Produce in Georgia.

The first part of the project is completed while work to continue developing the facility will continue this year. To date, about 10 million GEL has been spent on building the greenhouse in which local and international experts will work. It is expected the total cost of the project will reach 45 million GEL.

The project was implemented by French company Richel Group and Georgia’s Co-Investment Fund.

The greenhouse was built on 4.4 ha territory and employs 108 people from the Gardabani area.

Together with Georgian agronomists, French and Ukrainian agro-engineers, biologists and technologists work in the greenhouse.

The latest type of modern machinery and seed crops to be used in the greenhouse are being imported from Holland and France.

The production will be sold initially in the local market and later produce will be exported.

"This is the highest greenhouse in Georgia and the second construction in the Caucasus region. The higher the greenhouse is, the easier is to control climate and dampness. This is an energy efficient automated greenhouse,” said Georgia’s Greenhouse Corporation director Dimitri Kolensikov.

Within the Produce in Georgia program, in August 2014 the Co-Investment Fund was given 35 ha of land for the purpose of building a greenhouse. The greenhouse development project was designed to boost the country’s growing agriculture sector and reduce its reliance on imports.

Construction of the facility started on September 19, 2014.

Today the first stage of the project was officially completed. The second stage will begin in April 2015 and end in September 2015. An additional 85,000 sq.m. will be added to the existing greenhouse and a further 20 million GEL will be spent this.

When fully complete, the facility will have the capacity to grow over 15,000 tons of produce annually and contribute 435,000 GEL per year to the local municipality. The project will also reduce the country’s reliance on tomato imports by 30 percent.

A total of 45 million GEL will be invested in the project, officials said. (Agenda.ge)