Dutch project partners:
DTC Partners BV ( Dairy Training Centre)
Holland Trade Support (HTS)
DIFCO InternaLonal
Q-Point B.V.
Dairy in Georgia on its way to proven milk and growth of quality and quantity in the developing milk market. This was pointed out by Mr. Erekle Gamkrelidze, the president of the Association Dairy Georgia (ADG) and CEO of Lactalis Georgia. Mr. Gamrkelidze mentioned that the demand is there, but the processing companies cannot fulfill the market
with own domestic produced milk, the credits of the Government are open. Now we have to take care of capacity building. The floor is ours and yours he pointed out to the accredited trainers of the Dairy Food Safety Georgia project, which run from 2020-2022.
The Project objective was to contribute to a sustainable dairy sector in Georgia by setting up a food safety training system in order to improve the food safety standards, meet international standards and boost productivity, thus strengthening the local private sector in Georgia by training of senior trainers and trainers and creating a winning mood in practical training in dairy farm management.
A selected group of people (dairy farmers, milk processors, and independent consultants) were trained to provide food safety training to dairy farmers and milk processors. This will bring the Georgian dairy sector closer to harmonization with EU legislation, as part of the DCFTA, and improves export opportunities.
The members of the Dutch consortium where: 1. DTC Partners BV (known as Dairy Training Centre) 2. HTS Netherlands and HTS Georgia 3. DIFCO International 4. Q-Point B.V.
In Georgia we connected our network partners, besides the consortium partner Association Dairy Georgia, to the project: 1. Georgian Farmers Association (GFA) 2. University of Tbilisi 3. Agro Expert Organisation 4. All members of ADG as there are Lactalis and PepsiCo etc. This consortium meets the overall needs of the requesting organization
and has the necessary experience for the required aspects of the training project and for continuity after the project, most trainers are employed by the mentioned parties, all with a responsibility into the day-to-day activities on the dairy farm.
The result of the project is that about 13 trainers of which two senior trainers were trained intensively in 20 online training sessions (incl. Elearn pla_orm and practical assignments in between the online lessons (during the COVID period), followed by practical trainings/exercises in 25 practical training days, divided in 6 sessions on the ground by the Dutch experts in all aspects of the dairy value chain. Training materials like presentations and worksheets for practical assignments were developed and translated into Georgian.
It resulted in a deeper understanding and analysing of farm techniques and farm management and milk hygiene conditions and situations and a high level of skills in training by the trained trainers.
The trainers trained in pilot groups about 100 dairy farmers already in the practical modules.
Association Dairy Georgia will work out the masterplan for sustainable acendance and cooperation, meaning, to seek cooperation with all dairy processors, skills development agency of the Ministry of Education, colleges, business partners and to create a Centre of Expertise for Dutch and Georgian institutes and companies on the ground in Tbilisi. A joint venture between ADG and Dairy Training Centre is under establishment as a result of the project.
Ms. Nino from the Professional Skills Agency under the Ministry of Education and Science pointed out that the wish of the agency is to involve the sector parties in all kind of short term and long term trainings. They will be ready with their quality development team to help the partners in entering the qualification structure to assure the participants
of the trainings that the state certified the trainings.
The Vocational Skills Agency was jointly established by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and will facilitate the introduction of vocational programs in the labour market, support innovative training, improve competition and provide better employment opportunities. The agency lays a solid
foundation for public-private partnerships and human capital development in the country.
Tamar Kitiashvili, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Georgia and Giorgi Pertaia, President of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The trainers highly appreciated the given trainings which ended in results of the figures 9 and 10! They feel themselves much more capable and comfortable to arrange the farmer trainings and workshops due to the real practical approach of the trainers.
The topics in the trainings were dairy farm management, commercial milk production, grassland management, fodder production, feeding, health, breeding, practical management skills and foods safety standards and milk hygiene on farm level. After the project the modules are placed in a training calendar for the members of Dairy Georgia so they can administer for the training.
Ms. Loes Lammerts, Deputy Head of Mission at Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Tbilisi speaks to the accredited trainers who created and promoted the opportunity to train
the trainers in the RVO programme.
Morris (HTS):
Han (DTC), Kakaber (GDA), Nino Nadibaidze, Nino Kakulian and the others.