Beekeeping Program to Give 7000 Beehives to Cooperatives

The State Program for Supporting Beekeeping Agricultural Cooperatives has given more than 1200 artificial beehives to agricultural cooperatives in Lentekhi, Tsageri and Oni municipalities of Georgia’s western region of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti.

The Minister of Agriculture, Otar Danelia, stated that the region has a great potential to develop beekeeping and the state program will significantly contribute to the growth of product quality and volume, as well as honey production traceability which is one of the necessary preconditions for Georgian honey realization in the European market.

Within the Program, about 100 agricultural cooperatives throughout the country will be given more than 7000 artificial beehives. 28 beekeeping agricultural cooperatives of Racha-Lechkhumi region have already been granted 1901 beehives.

According to the Chairman of Agricultural Cooperative Development Agency, Giorgi Misheladze, the second phase for cooperatives to register in the Program for Supporting Beekeeping Agricultural Cooperatives is ongoing from February 29 to March 16. Cooperatives can register on the website of the Agricultural Cooperative Development Agency.

“The Program participant cooperatives will be given beehives made of their preferred material, wood or polystyrene, at 30% of the price. Cooperatives, upon request, can additionally take 1 piece of 12-frame honey extractor and / or 2200-litre storage tanks for honey,” said Giorgi Misheladze.

Participant cooperatives in the state Program which have refugees and / or persons with disabilities as 50% of their partners will be given the required inventory with co-financing, at 20% of the price.

Participant cooperatives also have the right to test one sample of its honey in the laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture without charge. Participant cooperatives will be provided with technical assistance within the frames of supporting the implementation of the essential technical regulations for honey.

The Ministry of Agriculture started the supporting program for beekeeping at the end of 2015. The program aims to improve technical and material bases of beekeeping industries of agricultural cooperatives, to increase quality and quantity of produced honey and other beekeeping products, as well as to implement capital investment for agricultural cooperatives and increase the qualifications of their shareholders.

Ana Akhalaia