On 30 June, ISET Policy Institute presented the results of its project on the “Information quality standards for the participants and beneficiaries of the Agricultural Knowledge and Information System (AKIS)” during the closing event, which itself aimed to identify the outcomes from the “Modernization of Vocational Education and Training (VET) System related to Agriculture in Georgia (VET Phase 2)” project.

The National Statistics Office of Georgia (GeoStat) recently published its economic review for Quarter II 2021. The publication highlights that agricultural production decreased by -2.3% in the second quarter of the year compared to the same period of 2020. Furthermore, agriculture contributed to 7.8% of the country’s total GDP during this period.

The National Statistics Office of Georgia (GeoStat) recently published its economic review for Quarter II 2020. The publication highlights that agricultural production increased by 4.7% in the second quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2019. Furthermore, agriculture contributed to 10.2% of the country’s total GDP during the same period.

This report was prepared under the mandate ‘Analysis of the National Agricultural Knowledge and Information System (AKIS) in Georgia’ commissioned for the UNDP project ‘Modernization of Vocational Education and Training (VET) System Related to Agriculture in Georgia’. The mandate includes three larger fields of inquiry, namely an analysis of the Georgian AKIS actors and linkages including a visualization, the identification of assets and gaps in the current system, and recommendations on how to improve.

Agricultural and rural development play an important role in the country’s socio-economic development. The restrictions imposed during the pandemic have hindered spring agricultural works which have significantly worsened conditions for farmers and stalled their future potential. Consequently, the Georgian government developed an anti-crisis plan, “Caring for Farmers and Agriculture”, that was presented on 12 March. The proposal entails two forms of aid: direct assistance and sectoral support.