Ministry of Agriculture Seeks Beneficiaries Interested in Sericulture

The Ministry of Agriculture held a working meeting under the Sericulture development Project to plan the distribution of imported hybrid mulberry seedlings free of charge among small entrepreneurs.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Iuri Nozadze, stated that the Ministry of Agriculture is ready to find beneficiaries interested in the development of sericulture and will provide them with all the necessary information and advice for growing and maintaining the plants.

Within the Sericulture Development Project, the founder of Georgian alcohol producing company Askaneli Brothers, Jimsher Chkhaidze, donated 100,000 mulberry seedlings imported from Uzbekistan to the Georgian government.

According to the Head of the Agricultural Research Centre, Levan Ujmajuridze, hybrid mulberry imported from Uzbekistan does not produce fruit and is used to feed mulberry silkworms. Cultivating these saplings is possible with intensive planting, as well as with single roots.

The Ministries of Agriculture, Economy and Sustainable Development and Environment and Natural Resources Protection are involved in the Sericulture Development Project.

The meeting was attended by Jimsher Chkhaidze, representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and advisors of the Minister of Agriculture.

According to the Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, a year ago, the Ministry of Economy created the Industrial Development Group which works on development strategies for various industries, including the concept of sericulture revival. Sericulture is based on the model of small farming, the revival of which will contribute to the development of small production and the increase of employment in the country.

Ana Akhalaia