“Our priority is for the National Food Agency to be represented in the regions as a high-standard institution” — Davit Songulashvili
Environment Protection and Agriculture Minister Davit Songulashvili met with the staff of the regional office of the National Food Agency in the Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti region.
In a working format, Mr. Songulashvili familiarised himself with the measures, plans and challenges implemented by the Agency in the fields of food safety, veterinary medicine and plant protection. During his meeting with employees, the Minister emphasised the role of each individual in ensuring the consumer market is supplied with safe food, as well as the importance of all measures carried out in the “farm to table” chain in the areas of animal health and plant protection.
“Our priority is for the National Food Agency to be represented in the regions as a high-standard institution, which meets the needs of the local population and contemporary challenges. Significant steps have been taken in this direction in recent years and this trend will continue,” noted Davit Songulashvili.
It is noteworthy that from a veterinary standpoint the Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti region is one of the more promising regions. Within the state programme, vaccination for animal health protection is carried out only against rabies. Simultaneously, a continuous inspection of agricultural markets, pre-school and school institutions and food trade facilities is conducted. In the region there is a modern standard slaughterhouse for animals and special attention is paid to the inspection of meat and meat-products.
In addition, plant‐protection activities carried out by the Agency in the region are of significance. Throughout the year active monitoring of the Asian long-horned beetle is conducted and the area of treated land currently amounts to about 6,500 hectares.
Accompanying Minister Songulashvili were the Regional Governor of Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti, Papuna Margvelidze, the region’s parliamentary delegate in the Georgian Parliament, Gotcha Enukidze, and the Deputy Director of the National Food Agency, Giorgi Iakobashvili.
