Ongoing EU and FAO Trainings in Agronomy for Farmers
Tbilisi – Through the European Union (EU) support, agronomic field trainings have started in Georgia’s regions in 2023 and will continue throughout the year. The educational meetings are implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations under the European Union’s (EU) ENPARD IV. The training programme aims to inform smallholder farmers and businesses about modern agricultural production practices. Food safety is the main underlying theme of the field trainings.
The FAO agronomists teach the best, modern ways of managing pests and diseases in crops, composting safely, and regulating nitrates in the environment and produce. With EU support, farmers can produce more and better quality, safe agrarian goods by utilising the knowledge gained at the field trainings. As a result, they can increase their competitiveness and, consequently, income.
Importantly, ineffective use of pesticides, incomplete composting and unregulated nitrates pose serious health risks to farmers and their loved ones. Moreover, agricultural goods with chemical residues harm consumers. Inadequate use of pesticides causes cancer, brain and blood diseases, along with other serious health complications. Similar results can occur when consuming products with excessive nitrate levels. Incorrectly composted manure can cause the spread of pathogens, which harms the environment, as well as the health of farmers and consumers.
“Through the support of the EU, we have been organising field trainings for the past 3 years and, during this time, many of the programme beneficiaries have considerably improved their agricultural activities, as well as revenue. By implementing modern agricultural techniques, they are harvesting safe products in a non-hazardous environment”, states Allan Pineda Burgos, International Agronomist and Capacity Building Specialist at FAO.
Field trainings are held in Georgia’s regions during all four seasons. The EU and FAO educational meetings take place on the demonstration plots of leader farmers. This is where, beyond receiving important information, local communities share their own experiences and challenges, network with other farmers and think about further improving their agricultural efforts.
Through the support of the EU, FAO in Georgia has already trained more than 2,500 farmers. The FAO team of agronomists and veterinarians also trained 800 farmers through Farmer Field Schools, including dairy and vegetable producers and women beekeepers.
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The European Union supports rural development in Georgia through its ENPARD Programme. Aiming to reduce rural poverty, ENPARD has been implemented since 2013. The Programme started by supporting the development of national agriculture potential. Afterwards, it concentrated also on creating economic opportunities for rural populations in Georgia. Since 2023, the Programme places an even bigger emphasis on improving food safety in the country.