New Fruit-Processing Factory Opens in Central Georgia

With the financial support of the State, a new fruit-processing factory was created in the village of Sagolasheni of Kareli municipality, central Georgia.

Named Fruit Paper Company LTD, the factory is equipped with modern and high-standard technologies and employs 29 locals.

In total, 1,012,000 GEL ($381,041) was invested in the enterprise, out of which 405,000 GEL ($152,341) is a grant and 507,000 GEL ($190,709) a preferential agro-credit.

Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture, Giorgi Khanishvili, opened the new enterprise with Shida Kartli Regional Governor Giorgi Khojevinashvili and the Deputy Director of Agriculture Projects Management Agency, Giorgi Jibladze.

The enterprise can process 10 tons of raw materials daily, from which such products as Tklapi, a traditional Georgian puréed fruit ‘leather’, and churchkhela, a traditional Georgian candle-shaped candy with nuts, as well as jams and fruit purees are made.

At the initial stage, the production will be sold on the local market, but it is planned to export production in the future.

With the support of the Agriculture Projects Management Agency, in 2019, the company plans to implement the ISO 22: 000 international standards of food safety.

Since 2013, with the help of the State, 180 new enterprises have been financed in the framework of the Unified Agro-Project, which envisages providing entrepreneurs with preferential agro-credits.

The project is designed for long-term development and aims to create an environment that will promote the increase of competitiveness in agriculture, stable growth of high quality products and introduction of international standards of food safety.

By Thea Morrison

Image source: 1TV