Deputy Minister of Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia Nodar Kereselidze, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Yuri Nozadze and Director of the Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture at the Ministry of Agriculture Levan Ujmajuridze met with International Potato Center (CIP) Asia Director Dr. Julian Parr and ICARDA regional representative Josef Turok.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss future cooperation prospects between the Georgian Ministry of Agriculture and the International Potato Center. CIP has a strong record of supporting developing countries reduce poverty in the agricultural sector through research activities, capacity strengthening, value chains, and introduction of new potato varieties with the potential of doing well in specific agroecologies.
The future cooperation between the government of Georgia and CIP was discussed and each expressed an interest in future cooperation. Future activities could include transferring modern technologies, high-yielding potato clones and the implementation of educational and consulting programs to Georgia.
The delegation visited the in vitro laboratories, experimental fields, and greenhouses at two research stations run by Scientific-Research Centre of Agriculture at the Ministry of Agriculture in Jigaura and Tsilkani.