Over 20 walnut and almond producers participated in the trainings organized by EU and FAO under the EU Innovative Action for Private Sector Competitiveness in Georgia, implemented through EU4Business programme. Federico Lopez Larrinaga, expert in walnut and almond farm management, brought the best international experience to the farmers and agronomists growing walnuts and almonds in Kakheti and Shida Kartli regions.

The trainings, conducted in the town of Kvareli, covered a broad spectrum of topics in the walnut and almond production cycle, including farm design, selection of saplings, variety selection, pruning and irrigation, integrated pest management, harvesting and post-harvest handling. The training sessions were conducted in collaboration with the Georgian Almond and Walnut Producers’ Association.

“International specialist recruited by EU and FAO offer invaluable knowledge and experience sharing to the members of the association and farmers representing relatively fledgling walnut and almond value chains in Georgia. This training has been highly fruitful and insightful”  said Mr. Leri Tabatadze, founder of the association. 

The participants learned about different methods and techniques recommended for pruning and irrigation of orchards for both walnuts and almonds. The expert also gave important recommendations for the pest management of and fungal diseases damaging the plants. 

“We see a lot of investments in Georgia in almonds and walnuts recently, and to have a good technical knowledge at farm level is critical to ensure that these investments provide the expected results. This is not always the case, and sometimes we see failed investments due to poor farm management practices.The EU and FAO will stay committed to support walnut and almond producers in Georgia to make them more competitive and more resilient to new challenges,” said Javier Sanz Alvarez, EU-FAO Programme Coordinator.

EU Innovative Action for Private Sector Competitiveness in Georgia is a joint initiative of the European Union and four UN Agencies, which was launched in 2019 with a budget of EUR 5 million. The project aims at enhancing entrepreneurship and business sophistication by strengthening the capacities of government and local entities to develop and operate clusters, as well as at supporting companies directly with strategic investments and better connections to diaspora groups, while also demonstrating the effectiveness of these strategies to businesses.