Georgia's new state agricultural co-financing program, launched on July 1, creates significant barriers for small and medium-sized farmers, according to Rati Kochlamazashvili, Deputy Chair of the Farmers' Association.
Speaking to Business Morning, Kochlamazashvili said the revised program is largely tailored to large-scale, intensive farming operations, making it difficult for smaller and extensive farms to qualify for support.
He also criticized changes to the preferential agricultural loan scheme, noting that farmers must now finance investments upfront and receive state support only after audits and official approval. He warned that many farmers lack the resources to meet these requirements and will remain dependent on bank financing.
Kochlamazashvili added that the program's implementation period has been reduced to three years, bureaucracy has increased, and the new rules are likely to further accelerate the decline in the number of small and medium-sized farms in Georgia.
