Farm Management System (FMS) Implementation in Georgian Farms

Farm Management System - FMS - is the only Georgian-language platform based on modern technologies and international practices, which helps farmers and other people interested in the sector in effective management and development of their livestock farms.

The system was developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and the Science and Research Center of Agriculture (SRCA), with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC).

Several farms in Georgia are already successfully using the system. “FMS is tailored to the specifics of the Georgian livestock sector and allows farm owners to effectively manage their activities, increase productivity and reduce costs. Using the system, farmers will be able to better plan and monitor their activities, which will ultimately contribute to the growth and development of their businesses, and at the same time, the SRCA will have the opportunity to certify breeds,” says Dragan Angelovski, FAO Technical Advisor.

Practical application of FMS on a Georgian farm

Darejan Kanteladze turned her farming business, which started with a few heads of cattle in 1997, into one of the largest cheese-producing companies in Georgia. Her farm currently has about 300 highly productive cows, and since 2009, they have been producing various types of cheese, such as Imeretian, factory, Gouda and Lori cheese, from raw milk produced at their own farm. The company produces an average of 120 tons of cheese annually, which is sold on the Georgian market through large chain supermarkets.

“Considering the climate and environmental conditions, we brought cows for our farm from different countries, including Estonia, Germany and France. They mostly eat grass, which is unique in our region. This is what makes the final product of “Alpia” so special,” says Darejan, the founder of the farm.

Her farm is one of the first to implement FMS to manage daily processes. Vasil Aspanidze is a farm safety specialist, but he is leading the implementation of the new system.

“Before FMS, we were facing disorganized accounting, which often led to errors, and it was also difficult to control the health and reproductive cycle of animals. We were looking for a system that would allow us to fully track farm activities digitally - including milk production, food ration, health and reproduction of the cattle.

At the initial stage, we mostly use the milk yield accounting module. In the future, we will add ration planning and health monitoring, as well as reproduction record management.” - notes Vasil, “The system modules are complete and easy to use even for people who have no experience in using digital products. FMS is in Georgian and is fully adapted to the specifics of the Georgian livestock sector.”

Alpia’s experience shows that implementing a Farm Management System (FMS) significantly improves farm management and productivity. The use of digital tools simplifies daily work and increases control over processes, allowing farm management to make informed decisions faster and increase production.

“Our long-term goal is to expand the farm, diversify products and automate processes. The FMS will become the center around which the farm will develop. We plan to share the benefits of digital management with other farmers too and help them transition to a digital system,” says Darejan.

If you want to implement FMS on your livestock farm, visit the website https://fms.mepa.gov.ge/contactus and fill out the contact form.