Agricultural Extension Conference Held in Tbilisi

A conference which brought together people to discuss how Georgia can benefit from international expertise in agriculture and what information and skills are most in demand to Georgian farmers was held in Tbilisi.

The objective of the meeting was to address the challenges and needs of Georgian farmers in Tbilisi on December 7th.

The event was organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UDNP) in Georgia, the Swiss Cooperation Office in the South Caucasus, the Ministry of Agriculture in Georgia and the Ministry of Education and Science in Georgia.

The conference brought together representatives of the Georgian Government, farmers associations, universities and vocational colleges, non-governmental and international organizations as well as agriculture experts from Denmark, Ireland and Switzerland.

The conference’s participants reviewed different models of agricultural extension as well as the standards of professional qualifications required for the extension officers.

International experts and representatives of the donor organizations shared their vision for agricultural extension as a driving force of agricultural development in the country; while representatives of the Government, civil society and educational institutions focused on the main developmental trends and challenges of agriculture in Georgia.

On December 8th and 9th the conference will be followed by a practical workshop and field trip to the region of Tshketa-Mtianeti to visit vocational education and training centres and demonstration agriculture plots.