On 16th of December 2019, the Georgian Milk mark organized a Georgian Cheese and Wine evening at 8000 Vintages to introduce cheese with Georgian Milk mark (GMM) to the supermarkets and encouraged them to pass information on the advantages of GMM cheese to consumers. Cheese with Georgian Milk mark does not contain milk powder or any vegetable oils, it has laboratory analysis and is produced in the enterprises which are HACCP certified.
The Guests had the opportunity to taste different types of cheese made from natural raw milk produced by thirteen enterprises: Milken Ltd, Tsintskaro + Ltd, I.E Hakob Hambaryan, I.E Karen Simonyan, I.E Tsolak Grigoryan, Tsifora –Smatskhe Ltd, Tsalka +Ltd, Dairy Products Company Tsezari Ltd, Gocha Gagashvili – brand name Tsivis Kveli, Levan Bejanishvili-brand name Shuamta, Badri Gogoladze – brand name Cheese Hut, Coop. Tanadgoma, Coop. Disvelli. The Information per enterprise is available on www.georgianmilk.ge. The website allows consumers to look up the products they are buying using a unique register number printed on a label.
The evening of Georgian Cheese and Wine was attended by Mr. Levan Davitashvili, the Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Project Alliances Caucasus Program (ALCP) implemented by Mercy Corps, Georgian Milk Mark Project Administrator - Business Institute of Georgia and Marketing Company GMA Representative, the supermarkets and the dairies using the Georgian Milk mark.
The evening was headed by Zaza Grigalashvili, an '8000 Vintages' Sommelier, who spoke about Georgian cheese and wine pairing.
Helen Bradbury, ALCP Team Leader: ‘We have private sector cheese enterprises in the room from different regions, these are a real dairy businesses operating for years and years. It is very important that this is Georgian Milk from Georgian cows who eat Georgian grass. Consumers want to eat natural, healthy, good country food which comes from this beautiful land, from this beautiful clean water, from happy cows and are made in communities living in countryside. Today we are at 8000 Vintages and we all know the history of wine. If you want ‘Qvevri’ wine or European style wine we know from where it comes from its name and the consumer can choose according wine value and its good for the producer, they can add more value and then this value goes back to the jobs, factories in the communities. So in the dairy sector it is going to be the same: as cheese will have the name, taste, value, style and its started to develop, the money supporting these factories goes back to women who are supplying milk, their families, they are putting money to their children education and investing in their life'.
Levan Davitashvili, The Minister of MEPA: ‘I think the most difficult sector in Georgia is adairy sector and we have a lot to do together. A good presentation of a final product the market and how we bring cheese to the consumer is very important. We can say that competition between the enterprises is unfair, but we work on this via new the regulations to change the situation in the sector, we also empower our laboratories to have better quality and safe products. Today we have Georgian Milk mark presentation which is a very good idea for providing information to the consumers about dairy products, which also gives advantages to producer'.
The Products with the mark are available in Madagoni, Spar, Ori Nabiji, Nikora, Zgapari, Fresco, Carrefour, and Goodwill supermarket chains.
A few days ago all Self-Governing cities and municipalities in the country received a recommendation from the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure to appoint an advisor on Gender Equity in each one to support implementation of the Law on Gender Equality 2010 and the action plan.
Two cases of Anthrax were identified in Tsalka Municipality during August 2013. According to the NFA representative Jemal Dekanadze, one cow died due to contracting Anthrax in Beshtasheni Village, Tsalka on August 8th. A blood test sent to Tbilisi Veterinary laboratory was confirmed positive for Anthrax. However, as reported by the Local Independent Vet from Tsalka Municipality, about 5 heads of dead cattle with clinical signs of Anthrax that were not laboratory tested were also observed in the local farms of the village.
Two cows died and a man has been infected due to contracting Anthrax in Patara Toneti Village, Tetritskaro Municipality. According to the representative of the NFA – Shota Poilarashvili the first cow died on July 17th, although the blood samples for laboratory testing were taken only by July 26th. During ten days the infected carcass had been abandoned in the ravine of the village.
Following on from the meeting with Shorena Bziava on May 21st in Kutaisi, Alliances KK met with Davit Narmania, the Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia. The main purpose of the meeting was introducing the Minister with Women’s Room, a new municipal service in Dmanisi, Tetritskaro and Tsalka municipalities, facilitated by the Alliances KK programme. Mr. David was informed about the main idea of WR and the services offered there. The information about the activities, the events carried out and the number of visitors since the establishment of WRs – were also overviewed. GENDER GUIDELINS for VILLAGE REPS with flyers of Women’s Room and Newsletter were presented and discussed.
Two cows died due to contracting Anthrax in Useinkendi, Karabulakhi Community, Dmanisi municipality on 13th May 2013. As the deputy of Gamgebeli Dato Petviashvili stated, a blood sample was taken from only one dead cattle and Tbilisi Veterinary Laboratory has subsequently confirmed the animal death was caused by Anthrax. The local government put Karabulakhi under quarantine for two weeks. The NFA commenced mandatory vaccination in the village and approximately 250 heads of livestock were vaccinated.
On 21st of May a meeting was held with Shorena Bziava, Gender Equality Council secretary at Georgian Parliament in Kutaisi. Alliances KK representatives introduced the programme Gender activities - a new municipal service Women’s Room and Guidelines for the Village Reps.
