Agricultural Development Project

This was the organization’s first project in Georgia and was initiated and co-financed by the World Bank.  The target group included small-scale farmers who had recently received land, villagers with small plots, livestock farmers in mountain areas, potential rural entrepreneurs and rural women. The project assisted the government in:

• transferring commercially viable agricultural assets and activities to the private sector
• establishing efficient financial systems to respond to the needs of small-scale farmers and agro-industries
• setting up an appropriate institutional environment for private agriculture and agro-processing

Activities focused on improving access to credit for enterprises, setting up a countrywide network of credit unions and supporting a land registration scheme. At project’s closing, more than 12,000 rural people had gained access to retail financial services for the first time since independence. A number of credit unions are still active, constituting evidence that the model can be made to work.

Source: IFAD