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Georgia has the resources to increase its wheat self-sufficiency to 50 percent, Georgian Agriculture Minister Otar Shamugia said on Wednesday, noting the state was ready to develop “stimulating projects” aimed at increasing wheat production in the country.

During a meeting between the Minister and farmers producing grain crops, the needs and challenges of the sector for ensuring the growth of crop production were discussed, and a decision was made to develop proposals and support mechanisms by relevant agencies of the Ministry to tackle the issue.

The farmers informed the Minister about the importance of an organised supply of highly productive seed material, accessibility to financial resources and relevant equipment for working capital, issues of land privatisation and lease, introduction of new sowing technologies, improvement of agricultural insurance and access to irrigation water and arrangement of windbreaks.