U.S. Embassy Announces New Farm Service Center for Conflict-Affected Farmers

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U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Kent Logsdon will join Georgian officials and local farmers to mark the opening of the Breti Machinery Service Center on Monday, October 4 at 10:30 a.m. in the village of Breti, Shida Kartli region. The U.S. Government, through the Agency for International Development (USAID), funded the Machine Service Center as part of its Access to Mechanization Project (AMP).  This project is part of a larger U.S. effort to help build a prosperous Georgia.

Malkhaz Nakhutsrishvili, the owner of the Breti Machinery Service Center, received a $197,000 grant from USAID and invested his own funds to build and equip the new service center.  The facility is equipped with six tractors, two combines and 33 agricultural implements, and will provide fee-based machinery services such as planting, plowing, and cultivation for local small farmers.  The project resulted in the creation of ten new jobs, benefited 800 farmers, and provided services for 1,400 hectares of land in Kareli District.

The U.S. Government has made assistance to the conflict-affected populations of Shida Kartli a high priority.  To date, nearly 40,000 households, representing nearly every farm and IDP family affected by the conflict, have received U.S. support to rebuild after the 2008 war.

The Access to Mechanization Project is a 30 month, $5.1 million program under the U.S. Government's $1 billion pledge to assist the people of Georgia following the war. The project is funding the development of up to 30 privately-owned farm machinery service centers throughout Georgia which will increase access to farm machinery services for small farmers.  The service centers are expected to create up to 250 new jobs, provide services to 14,000 small farmers, and increase agricultural revenues by $10 million.