Chargé d’Affaires Mark Perry Announces Millennium Challenge Project Launch
Millennium Challenge Georgia Fund launched the first of five major projects on Thursday, August 3, when it celebrated the start of the Agribusiness Development Activity (ADA) at Turtle Lake’s Muza International Cultural Centre. The ADA project will accelerate Georgia’s transformation from subsistence to commercial agriculture through technical assistance, matching grants, and increased access to market information.
In addition to Chargé d’Affaires Mark Perry, speakers at the launching ceremony included Nino Burjanadze, Speaker of Parliament, Mikheil Svimonishvili, Minister of Agriculture, Lasha Shanidze, Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Challenge Georgia, Colin H. Buckley, Resident Country Director of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and Rod Beason, ADA Project Manager.
Chargé d’Affaires Perry used the occasion to welcome Millennium Challenge Georgia to the family of U.S. Government programs that are providing assistance to Georgia’s agriculture industry, including USAID and USDA. Chargé d’Affaires Perry commented that “Georgia’s”wine, water and produce are already famous throughout the world. The projects spurred by the Agribusiness Development Activity will help strengthen and expand this reputation and bring improved products to new markets.”
ADA is a four-year initiative, with total funding of USD 15 million. ADA’s goal is to strengthen Georgia’s agricultural sector by increasing revenues for firms and farming households and increasing employment in the agricultural industry. Millennium Challenge Georgia selected Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs (CNFA), a U.S. not-for-profit, for its ADA implementing partner. |
