March 12, 2015
Georgia
At the end of February 2015, representatives from the Georgian authorities, the Czech Development Agency, local farmers and the staff of Caritas Czech Republic, visited renovated warehouses containing potatoes in Kvemo Alvan. During the season, local growers were able to save the first eight tons of unique Tusheti potatoes there.
The local potato variety is the only one in Georgia which is fertilized exclusively by organic growing techniques. The potato variety is grown without the use of any herbicides or pesticides and is enabled by the climatic conditions of Tusheti where farmers cultivate their fields at an altitude of over two thousand meters.
During the excursion, Georgian Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Goca Cophurishvili, stressed that Tusheti potatoes respond ideally to the growing demand for environmentally conscious produce on the Georgian market. The First Deputy Governor of the region Kakheti, Zurab Arsenishvili, reminded other participants of the visit that their favourite Tusheti potatoes will be available on the local market throughout the season. This is thanks to Caritas Czech Republic’s project that was supported by the Czech Development Agency.
Newly acquired trucks gather the potatoes on the road through the Abano pass (at an altitude of 2926 meters above the sea level) into the valley. They are stored there in a well-ventilated warehouse. The Czech Ambassador in Georgia, Tomáš Pernický, promised that the Czech Republic, as part of its international development cooperation plans, will continue to pay close attention to the remote mountain region of Tusheti.
Caritas Czech Republic therefore plans to organize a variety of training sessions in 2015. During these sessions, farmers will learn new methods of growing organic vegetables and sheep farmers will have the opportunity to clean and process the wool. This means that mountain regions possessing a unique pastoral culture will not become completely depopulated. On the contrary, there is the potential for further development of its tourism economy.
Eristo (Zaza) Lagazidze, an energetic patriot and director of the protected area of Tusheti, also spoke to the farmers, “Thanks to Czech Development aid, the people of Tusheti gained new opportunities to develop traditional ways of farming. The ball is now in Georgia’s court. The Ministry of Agriculture can utilize what was learned during the Tusheti experience in other mountain regions and Tusheti farmers will have the opportunity to supplement their own economy and save the unique character and culture of the mountain landscape.“
