U.S. Donates Fruit Trees to Tserovani Residents

December 1, 2009

U.S. Charge d'Affairs Kent Logsdon, Minister of Agriculture Bakur Kvezereli and Minister of Refuges and Accommodation Koba Subeliani

On December 1, 2009, the U.S. Government donated 10,000 fruit trees to the residents of the internally displaced persons' settlement of Tserovani through USAID's  AgVANTAGE program. U.S. Charge d'Affairs Kent Logsdon, Minister of Agriculture Bakur Kvezereli and Minister of Refuges and Accommodation Koba Subeliani helped to plant the first trees.

USAID distributed five trees and information on how to care for them to each of 2,000 households in Tserovani. The trees will provide a future source of food and income for the new residents. The donated apple, peach, plum and apricot trees are early-maturing, high-yielding varieties that will begin to bear fruit in the third year. They were grown by the Gori Fruit Producing Farmers Association (GFPFA), which was established in 2004 with assistance from USAID. The association operates a demonstration orchard and nursery in Kareli.