Agriculture Minister: We aim to support local production and cut import reliance

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Davit Songhulashvili, visited the greenhouse farm and production facilities of individual entrepreneur Ramin Naghiyev in the village of Mukhrani, Mtskheta Municipality.

The enterprise cultivates annual crops, achieving a monthly output of 20 tonnes. The produce is supplied to the domestic market, and the farm employs between 10 and 15 people.

“Developing greenhouse farming is a key pillar of our agricultural policy. Modern technologies enable farmers to yield produce year-round rather than just seasonally. Our goal is to support as much local Georgian production as possible to reduce our reliance on imports,” Davit Songhulashvili stated.

Ramin Naghiyev is a beneficiary of the Rural Development Agency. In 2025, he drew support from the Georgian Vegetables from Greenhouses project. The total loan value stood at 250,000 GEL, which included a 125,000 GEL co-financing contribution from the agency. The funds were directed toward annual crop production as well as the establishment and expansion of the greenhouse facilities. In 2021, the beneficiary also accessed preferential agricultural credit to set up the farm.

The Georgian Vegetables from Greenhouses scheme, administered by the Rural Development Agency since 2024, now counts 355 beneficiaries. Commercial banks have issued approximately 45 million GEL in loans to establish greenhouses covering 55 hectares.

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture was accompanied on his visit by Deputy Minister Lasha Avaliani, Director of the Rural Development Agency Zurab Gozalishvili, Mayor of Mtskheta Municipality Gogi Abuashvili, and Chairman of the Mtskheta Municipal Council Giorgi Eloshvili.