In order to assess the effectiveness of the Agricultural Card Program, APRC conducted focus group discussions with farmers, and individual interviews with input suppliers and machinery service providers from different regions of Georgia were conducted in order to assess the impact. The study gives qualitative insight into the program and provides policy recommendations.

The Land-Poor-Farmers Assistance Spring Project (Agricultural Card Program) started in 2013. The project’s goal was to support rural residents in establishing sustainable farms. The beneficiaries of the project received a card for plowing (the plowing card) and a plastic card, the so-called "agro card", for the purchase of farming goods (agricultural inputs).

The objective of this assignment was to understand how effectively the card program was implemented, what the constraints to its effective implementation were, and what impact the program had on farm households. It also aimed to assess any improvements in the linkages between farmers and input suppliers as well as any changes in farmers’ productivity, awareness, and practices.

Does it Make Sense to Subsidize Smallholder Georgian Agriculture, and if so How?