A new Bio Security Point (BSP) has been opened by the Minister of Agriculture of Georgia on in Kakheti, Telavi municipality. It is the fifth point now open on the Animal Movement Route along with the BSP’s in Marneuli, Rustavi, Dedoplistskaro and Signagi municipalities and the third point built by the government in addition to the two points built under the ALCP as part of the activities agreed between the government and the project.
‘We are conducting complex works for supporting sheep and cattle sector development and one of the most important components of this work are identification ®istration of official Animal Movement Route and a proper management of it. We now have five BSP and this helps us to manage the movement of the livestock and their health control’ Mr. Davitashvili stated.
Ongoing facilitation will see emphasis on the future management of the BSP’s and their development into key components of a national strategy including Animal Identification and Registration to further strengthen animal disease control in Georgia.
The BSP’s serve the nomadic farmers of Georgia by ensuring systemic health control of their migrating livestock. One more BSP in Bolnisi municipality will be constructed in 2018 by the government fulfilling the original terms of the agreement. During the four transhumance seasons Spring-Fall 2016 and 2017 a total of 747 952 heads of sheep and cattle were treated against parasites at Bio Security Points free of charge and farmers saved about 0.20 tetri per sheep. The operational season of BSP’s will continue until the end of November.
Referred to as Liquid Gold, for its color and perceived health benefits, Erbo the Georgian word for melted butter is a well-kept secret in Georgia. Traditionally made at home Erbo is much used in local traditional cuisines. Butter is an important fat in Georgia, very common in Azeri cuisine and in mountainous regions where both the harsh winter climates and distance from markets increased the importance of butter which can be stored, in communities dependent on dairy farming.
Now thanks to Milkeni Ltd who have started to produce and sell Erbo as part of their products made under the Georgian Milk Mark, quality assured Erbo is now available commercially for the first time in Georgia in Madagoni and Libre supermarkets chains. Interest and demand is growing rapidly.
Of all regions, perhaps Ajara is most famous for its use of Erbo. Most traditional Ajarian dishes contain Erbo. Borano is a dish of melted butter containing traditional Chechili cheese, a dish which been awarded the status of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Khavitsi a sauce made with flour and Erbo.
So what is special about Erbo? People believe that it is a healthy fat, processed differently and beneficially in the body and is well absorbed in the human body; it does not contain lactose and casein, so it is recommended for those with lactose intolerance. Mountain people believe Erbo boosts metabolism and energy, improving brain function, memory and their immune system.
In summer 2019, ten new Jara hives were placed in the Goderdzi Alpine Garden (GAG), Jara Beekeeping area, an area which aims to publicize Jara beekeeping and teach people interested in taking it up. With the help of the Jara Beekeepers Association (JBA) they were moved for wintering to Paksadzeebi Village in Khulo last autumn. Last week, all the hives were checked and fortunately, all the bee colonies are alive and working productively.
This Jara apiary is currently undergoing the Bio certification process and is due to obtain certification in July this year. It will be moved back to the GAG (Goderdzi Pass, 2000m above sea level) in May and be the focal point of Jara beekeeping workshops for school students and garden visitors.
The Goderdzi Alpine Garden is a tourist and environmental hub in the rural part of Ajara, Western Georgia. It involves and develops a sense of ownership for rural inhabitants in the field of biodiversity and environment, showcases the beauty and ecological assets of rural Ajara and generates added value from rural tourism for locals.
The Government of Georgia declared a curfew on March 30th, 2020 to restrict the spread of the COVID-19 virus which imposes restrictions on the movement of transport from 9:00 PM to 06:00 AM. However, producers and distributors of key commodities may apply to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA) for a permit to continue distribution. The Business Institute of Georgia (BIG) is currently helping GMM dairies to apply for this permission.
To gain permission follow these instructions:
- A producer/distributor should contact the MEPA on the hotline number - 247 01 01 or 1501 - and provide information about their activities and the need for permission.
- The MEPA will send the applicant an email address and an application form to send to this address. The application form requires information about the distribution driver (ID number, name, surname, date of birth, phone number, workplace and title) and distribution car (registration number of vehicle, brand, model, type, ID number of a company who is the owner of a vehicle, a type of business).
- The MEPA will respond to the company about issuing permission.
- After that, the company should call the Emergency Number 112 and check whether the information about the distribution car and driver is listed in the Ministry of Internal Affairs database.
Amidst the negative news and stories of unthinking behaviour, some stories have emerged globally of people and business who have responded to the crisis with kindness and generosity. These stories fill all of us with a sense of hope and comfort in our ability to work together. So we are delighted to be able to share the stories of some of the ALCP clients who have been contributing to the common good over the past week:
Roki Ltd, the largest veterinary input supplier and producer in Georgia, has started the production of a new hand sanitizer Septer as a response to increased demand. Supplies sold out in a day to banks, the Ministry of Education and clinics and there is a new order for four tonnes of Septer from the government. The company closely cooperated with the government in developing the product trying to use its resources for the benefit of all;
A GMM cheese distributor has organized the collection of cheese from eleven Georgian Milk Mark dairies: Milkeni, Tsintskaro +, Cheese Hut, Shuamta, Tvisis Kveli, Tsifora –Samtkhe, Tsezari, Coop. Khiza, Coop. Disveli, Teleti Ltd, I.E. Hakob Hambaryan and distributed it to theInfectious Diseases and AIDS Center in Tbilisi to support medical staff during the outbreak;
GMM dairy Tsipora Ltd in Samtkhe-Javakheti has supplied cheese to the Abastumani Lung Center.
Tsivis Kveli Ltd Kakheti brought cheese to the hotel Chateau Mere in Kakheti - for those under quarantine;
The Georgian Beekeepers Union initiated the collection of honey from local beekeepers across the country to supply people in vulnerable groups.
The KTW group offered the government the use of their forty-one rooms hotel-complex Akhasheni Wine Resort &Spa, for arranging a quarantine zone in Kakheti region.
In a country first, eighteen Jara beekeepers in Ajara have received Bio certification. Jara honey was not even commercially harvested and branded until 2018, however the market for the honey has proved its strength so successfully that the beekeepers saw the opportunity to further promote their product through bio certification.
The conversion was relatively simple and certainly achievable as Jara honey is based on the capture of wild swarms and is relatively hands off. Since November 2018, the Jara Beekeepers Association (JBA) has been facilitating training and on-site recommendations; it also provides treatment of hives with a Bio vet medicine and special equipment for the mentioned Jara beekeepers. The beekeepers now follow the bio requirements; including keeping records, better husbandry, use of bio vet medicine. This allowed for smooth journey through the minimum one-year conversion period for certification.
Caucascert, the only organic certification company in Georgia issued the internationally recognized Bio certificates after laboratory results and field checks, which did not show any incompliance.
‘I am very proud that I was able to get Bio certification. It was challenging, as I did not have any kind of information before, but support from the JBA was crucial. I can already see the outcomes, because the process already contributed to minimizing disease risk and increase productivity of a Jara hive by thirty percent’ – Bio certified Jara beekeeper from Keda municipality.
Six more Jara beekeepers, including the Jara apiary in the Goderdzi Alpine Garden, are currently undergoing the certification process and might obtain certification by the end of this year.
The Jara honey mark was registered in February, 2020 and both its production and the market for it, including export is growing. More details on Jara honey to be found on www.jarahoney.com.
As part of the agreement which allows Georgian Honey to be exported to the EU, the government annually carries out a Residue Monitoring survey. Worryingly high residues of prohibited antibiotics were found in previous years (see infographic below). 2019 however saw national information campaign carried by the Georgian Beekeepers Union, who developed and disseminated Do’s and Don’ts Antibiotic Use Infographic and facilitated breakthrough legislation adopted by the Government of Georgia, which prohibits registration of the beekeeping vet medicines containing restricted antibiotics, among others. As a result, this year, only eight percent of honey samples tested positive for prohibited substances, compared to fifty-four percent of the last year, according to the Residue Monitoring Plan results, made by the National Food Agency in the BIOR laboratory in Riga, Latvia.
It is a significant achievement for Georgian honey export opportunities and expanding markets.
