EU and FAO, in cooperation with Agromotors, a provider of agricultural machinery, trained 20 farmers on how to take the best advantage of their agricultural machinery they have received with the financial support from the EU-FAO agricultural grants cycle under the ENPARD III Programme.

The training took place in Tamariani village of Lagodekhi municipality and farmers learned how to operate and maintain a modern tractor and other agricultural equipment. A theoretical session was followed by practical field exercises where farmers could themselves operate the machinery.

“I have bought a new tractor with FAO and EU support this November,“ farmer Valeri Marakvelidze, one of the training participants stated. “With this training I have learnt a lot – from the exact schedule of oil change in the machine to smarter solutions while using it in the field. With this new equipment and good knowledge of its proper maintenance, we can get much better harvests with no time wasted on breakdowns and repairs of the equipment,”

“It is crucial for the agriculture in Georgia to introduce new machinery and replace outdated tractors produced in the Soviet era, still used by many farmers. Investing in new machinery helps farmers not only to save costs on fuel consumption, but also get more work done in less time,” Akaki Gogsadze, Agromotors Director stated.

Purchasing new agricultural machinery is one of the most requested capital agricultural investments funded under the EU-FAO Grant Programme. With the number of beneficiaries receiving the grant support, rising over 200 people this year, trainings like this are very timely for the sustainable use of the granted tractors.

“Farmers sometimes don’t know well how to properly use the equipment they purchase, and this leads to problems of wrong utilisation that lead to extra expenses on operation and maintenance. With the right maintenance and use, new machines can significantly lower the costs of agricultural production, giving higher quality harvest, making agriculture more productive and successful in Georgia,” Javier Sanz Alvarez, FAO-EU project coordinator said.

The EU is supporting agriculture and rural development in Georgia through its ENPARD programme. Implemented since 2013 with a total budget of EUR 234.5 million, the main goal of ENPARD is to provide economic opportunities in rural areas and reduce poverty in Georgia. More information on ENPARD is available at: https://eu4georgia.eu/enpard/