Governor David Gagoshidze, Jonathan Puddifoot Country Director of CARE International in the Caucasus, representatives of Ministries of Agriculture and Regional Development and local nongovernmental organizations participated in the hand over ceremony, which took place in Ambrolauri town.

 Cooperatives and LLC’s received following machinery: tractors, balers, rakes, hand mowing machines, and trucks. The agriculture machinery was provided as co-investment funding to newly established Cooperatives and LLCs for hay production in Tlughi, Gendushi of Ambrolauri Municipality and Mravaldzali, Shkmeri, Chiora and Ghebi Communities of Oni Municipality. The machinery, with value at 171, 000 USD, will serve 450 households in 6 communities. 

“High mountainous villages lack mechanization. With the help of this agricultural machinery, several agricultural problems will be solved and this will have a direct impact on poverty in these communities.  Farmers’ labor will be lighter. I am asking CARE to implement agricultural projects like this in future too. This day is a clear demonstration that the project has fulfilled its mission and it will continue successfully until 2011,” said Governor David Gagoshidze.

“First of all I thank Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and local government. I hope that with the Agricultural machinery hay production will be increased and maximum usage can be made of existing hay fields and pastures in the region. This project serves as a good example for other local investors in the region.’- stated Jonathan Puddifoot, Country Director of Care International in Caucasus. 

“RDRL project clearly demonstrates how local government and non governmental organizations can collaborate with each other to achieve success for development of the region. It would be excellent if the project can be expanded”, declared Omar Tedoradze, the head of the Agricultural technologies’ Department, Ministry of Agriculture. 

“Each participating family of our LLC previously used 3 hectares of hay-fields. With new machinery we are expecting that results will be at least double. We already have clients for our hay production in Ghebi and other communities. We have also started to improve the quality of our hay fields with AIC’s assistance. We are going to rebuild the bridge to Zopkhiti gorge, so we can also use the gorge’s fields also,” – stated Vepkhia Gavasheli, Director of LLC “Ghebi 2010.”

The RDRL Project’s goal is that “Improved local market economies and governance processes have benefited the poor”. For this, the Project is using the “Making Markets Work for the Poor” Methodology.  The Project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and is being implemented by CARE International in the Caucasus in partnership with AbkhazinterCont (AIC), and the Centre for Training and Consultancy (CTC), the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), and the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG). The Project started in November 2008 and will finish in November 2011.