Transforming rural Georgia through small-scale investment support under FAO’s Inclusive Rural Development and Sustainable Agriculture Project

25/09/2026

Natia Kusradze and her sister, together with their spouses, have been managing the "Kapito" family cellar and vineyard since 2017. The uniqueness of their operation lies in their grape varieties - they cultivate rare, endemic varieties native to Kartli, including Jvari, Ghrubela, Shavkapito, and Danakharuli, giving their products a distinctive niche in the market.

"Our duties are equally distributed, although caring for the vineyard requires a range of demanding agrotechnical measures. Our financial analysis showed that a significant portion of our costs were spent on renting machinery. This highlighted the urgent need to acquire our own tractor and attachments. Without this equipment, we were investing a tremendous amount of time and physical energy doing tasks manually, which took a heavy toll on us."

Through participation in FAO’s small-scale investment support scheme, the family purchased a compact tractor, a mulcher, and a tiller tailored to maneuver through their vineyard's narrow rows. Consequently, they now carry out routine tasks far more efficiently. This project marked their first successful effort to secure international support for the technological modernization of their family farm.

"In the morning, we race to wake up before one another to carry out vineyard care tasks, which are now so much easier. This support serves as a huge source of motivation for us to improve quality and increase production volume. Additionally, we are protecting the environment, as the new machinery is much more fuel-efficient, produces fewer emissions, and makes soil management simpler."

Individual farmers, entrepreneurs, cooperatives, associations, and businesses across the Kaspi and Martvili municipalities of Georgia recently had the opportunity to benefit from the Small-Scale Investment Support Schemes, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with financial support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) as part of International Partnerships Austria, under the "Inclusive Rural Development and Sustainable Agriculture" project. To encourage broad engagement, women, youth, and vulnerable groups were eligible for reduced co-financing contribution.

In total, 71 applicants, 36 per cent of which female applicants, were approved across the two pilot municipalities under the 1^st Call for applications. The supported projects span a wide variety of agricultural and rural economic sectors, including agritourism, beekeeping, dairy processing, winemaking, poultry farming, vegetable and grain production, and gastrotourism. Support was delivered through specialized tools, equipment, machinery and other assets, tailored to each activity's specific needs. Beneficiaries received tractors and agricultural machinery, processing equipment, winemaking and beekeeping equipment, commercial assets for agri- and gastro- tourism businesses, as well as modern cold-storage infrastructure.

In agriculture, simply growing a crop is not enough - building a sustainable and profitable business requires high-quality storage and strategic market positioning. Building on 30 years of practical experience, Teimuraz Turashvili equipped a modern cold-storage facility in the village of Doesi with modern technology through FAO support. This investment will significantly boost the commercial value of local fruit and unlock new economic opportunities for the Shida Kartli region.

“Fruit prices drop dramatically during peak harvest season. Without cold storage, our produce, especially peaches and apples, had to be sold straight from the orchard or within a month at most, yielding minimal profits barely above production cost. The nearest cold-storage facility was in Gori, and beyond the added expense, transporting the harvest risked damaging it,” explains Teimuraz. “Now that three storage chambers are fully equipped, we store our own harvest alongside fruit purchased from residents in neighboring villages, selling it strategically once peak-season market saturation passes.”

The establishment of this facility also enables other small and medium-scale farmers across Kaspi Municipality to store their harvests under affordable and flexible conditions, empowering them to sell their produce profitably long after the peak harvest ends.

By equipping local producers with modern equipment, cold-storage infrastructure, and sustainable technology, these targeted support schemes do more than solve daily operational challenges - they build lasting economic resilience across Georgia's rural communities. As families like Natia’s increase their efficiency and entrepreneurs like Teimuraz expand regional storage capacity, small-scale investments are improving livelihoods, protecting local environments, and ensuring that rural agricultural businesses remain competitive and viable for generations to come.