Local farmers from Lagodekhi attend the field day of agricultural mechanics

The local farmers of Chiauri village, in Lagodekhi municipality, had the chance to attend an event organized by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, in the framework of the EU-funded ENPARD program.

The purpose of the event was to allow the farmers to view and test out tractors and other agricultural machinery produced by one of the suppliers of the mechanics, “Agromotors,” which produces machinery that helps the farmers to do their job more sustainably.

Besides the display of agricultural machinery, the farmers got to discuss some of the pressing topics in today’s agriculture and the challenges that these locals face.

The discussion covered the topic of sustainability, which is entering every field of today’s society starting from agriculture, to the fashion industry to our everyday habits. Georgia has set out to implement as many sustainable habits in as many fields as possible, wanting to leave its print on the global movement to preserve the earth’s resources. One of the specific suggestions that were discussed during the field day was the minimal cultivation of the soil. This method is not only more productive but helps combat climate change risks and reduces Greenhouse gas emissions. The different machinery present at the field day were perfect for conducting sustainable farming.

During the event, the FAO agronomist Alan Pineda spoke about the advantages of conservation methods and cited some examples of the successful implementation of sustainable approaches in agriculture. Mr. Pineda talked about the specific examples when the crop numbers and yield were significantly increased when farmers worked on their soil using the minimal tillage method. Corn farmer Mukhran Metreveli, who is a local at Chiauri village also shared his positive experience with sustainable farming methods. This season Metreveli along with EU-backed FAO experts took care of a 3-acre land where he used the minimal land cultivation method. He then shared with the attendees of the field day his positive results. By using the minimal tilling method Mr. Metreveli managed to get a much better-developed crop because of the drier land, which was the result of this sustainable farming method.

During the event, the attendant also discussed the ongoing FAO-ENPARD grant competition funded by the European Union. The goal of the initiative is to improve access to finance, services and industrial equipment by co-financing Georgian farmers, rural households, cooperatives, small and medium-sized enterprises.

The European Union (EU) is supporting rural poverty alleviation and implementing modern rural development practices in Georgia with the assistance of the European Neighborhood Policy for Rural Development (ENPARD). The program has been running in Georgia since 2013.