#68successstories

#EU #Sweden #Austria

#GRETAProject #forthedevelopmentofthemountaineconomy

Hello,

My name is Tinatin Kapanadze. I am a teacher by profession, but I'm involved in various professional activities. Currently, I am the head of the tourism department in the Chiatura municipality, and I also manage a small family business - Imeretian tea production - with my husband.

We started tea production in 2018. In the initial phases of our endeavour, we received multiple machines through the Georgian Tea State Program. However, seeking supplementary investments for progressive expansion and taking the initial steps were necessary. That's when the GRETA project, co-financed by the European Union, Sweden, and Austria, came into play. We learned about this project from my fellow tea growers. They were already actively participating in the grant program. Since we consulted with each other, discussing the suitable approaches for the common benefit of the region, getting involved in this project and considering the shared consultations was the right and adequate decision, especially when looking back at the past stages.

Within the project's framework and with the assistance of the European Union, Sweden, and Austria, we acquired the necessary machinery for our production. Furthermore, we obtained funding for the bio-certification process of our tea plantation. This step was crucial as it marked our transition towards organic production despite many challenges.

Allow me to share more detailed insights into the equipment gifted to us as part of the grant. These are - the drying and fermentation equipment for black and green tea, as well as green tea fixation machinery. These machines played a transformative role, virtually doubling our production capacity. Moreover, they allowed us to engage in green tea production. We could not produce green tea before because we did not have a fixation machine, a crucial component in the production process. Currently, a significant part of our product range consists of green tea. Also critical was the black tea fermentation machine, which doubled the production rate.

I want to emphasise the additional crucial assistance we received - such as marketing and branding training sessions. The donor-funded training sessions have given us the valuable knowledge to plan our activities strategically and have equipped us with the needed skills.

Regarding our future objectives, our primary goal was to transition towards producing environmentally friendly and organic goods. This goal has become a reality with the invaluable support from the European Union, Sweden, and Austria within the framework of the GRETA project. Our next step is to maintain this direction and expand our product range, including offerings from the tourism sector. Given my current involvement, I believe transforming our production into an agro-tourism facility would be the right choice. Therefore, our latest aspiration is to introduce tea tours as part of our offerings. In order to accomplish our goals and improve our production as well as the cooperative "Sakurtse," of which we are active members, we are seeking new business collaborations. If you are interested, please feel free to reach out to us via email at:

sakurtse2018@gmail.com

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With the support of the European Union, Sweden, and Austria, 68 small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in the highland region of Georgia have received substantial assistance for their business development.

Take advantage of the upcoming success stories, where incredibly fascinating people will share their experiences with us.

Project GRETA | “Green Economy: Sustainable Mountain Tourism and Organic Agriculture” is implemented by the Austria Development Agency in Georgia with the support of the European Union, Austria, and Sweden. The project aims to improve the business environment and create new income opportunities in two important sectors of the Georgian economy, mountain tourism and organic agriculture.

This material has been produced with the assistance of the European Union, Sweden, and Austria, within the framework of the GRETA project. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Austrian Development Agency /GRETA Project and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union, Sweden, or Austria.