Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences takes part in the consulting process regarding the regulation: Agricultural lands of Georgia

On April 23, 2018, Academicians of GAAS Nodar Chitanava and Elguja Shapakidze  took part in the discussions  which dealt with  regulation on agricultural lands. The representatives of  non-governmnetal and international organizations also participated in  the meeting.

 As Otal Danelia, the head of Agrarian Committee of Georgian Parliament mentioned, many different opinion and suggestions have been presented and many of them are reflected in the Law.

Nodar CHitanava supported the main principles of the Law and mentioned that the passage of the law will speed up agricultural production and support complex development of agrarian branches.  Also he presented some of the assumptions of GAAS which will help the implementations of the aims and objectives envisaged by the regulations. 

  Academician Chitanava proposed that in the category of lands for agricultural purposes should be included the lands with perennial plants. Also he added that those lands should be given to foreign owners on lease which will help the development of land market.

 Chitanava suggested that National Agency for Land Sustainable Development, should be renamed into: “The Agency of Land Resource Management and Land-use Monitoring.“

O. Danelia declared that moratorium with regards of selling agricultural lands to foreign countries’ citizens raise some problems in Bank Sector and the legislators think that also some changes should be introduced in acting moratorium, so that financial resources become again free, because due to this moratorium the actives today are beyond disposition. 

Chitanava offered foundation of State Commercial Agricultural Land Bank which will assist the development of agrarian sector and stimulate land rational application. 

Also, Chitanava opposes the fact that areas occupied by territorial waters are included in Georgian land fund. They should be fixed separately according to their status and discussed within the framework of the present draft.

 At the end of the meeting Mr. Otar Danelia said that the opinions expressed at the meeting will be taken into consideration and would be further discussed.