Kakheti Regional Development Strategy 2009-2014

The Kakheti Regional Development Strategy 2009-2014 is a regional multi-sectoral strategy of Georgia’s Kakheti region. Its main objective is to facilitate regional economic growth, improve its future economy and enhance the wellbeing of its population.
Among others, the document provides for conducting a detailed study of the region’s socio-economic indicators; identifying priorities based on the results of the study; assessing adequate levels of funding and attracting funding; identifying region’s poverty parameters and development of a plan for overcoming poverty; identifying the roles of the central and local governments, as well as international donors and the private sector in poverty reduction; assessing the needs of the region in vocational education and forecasting the profile and determining the number of vocational education centres needed; rehabilitating irrigation systems; gradually privatizating irrigation systems (carrying out technical economic assessments, evaluating privatization schemes); maintaining local transport roads in an operational state; providing technical assessment of the rehabilitation works of Telavi-Vaziani-Tbilisi Highway; rehabilitating main infrastructure facilities in settlements, with special focus on water supply systems; developing the wine sector development strategy; developing the wine cadastre; conducting market research internationally for studying current and potential markets for Georgian wines; promoting Georgian wines internationally through advertising campaigns in magazines, newspapers, brochures, tourist booklets and internet sites; constructing the new Telavi-Vaziani-Tbilisi Highway; promoting wine tourism; making the Food Safety Service operational; fine-tuning and creating the wine quality control system; modernizing wine and viticulture department at Iakob Gogebashvili Telavi State University; setting up a Marketing Research Centre; conducting a survey of domestic and export markets; bringing together research and production; providing support to economic cooperation of Kakheti and its twin regions (from France, Ukraine, etc.).; establishing modern nurseries for collection varieties, as well as other high-quality planting material for grapes; implementing and extending modern schemes and technologies in new vineyards; setting up modern extension services for grape producers within the higher and vocational education institutions; increasing the area of vineyards of traditional Kakhetian grape varieties: Kisi, Khikhvi, Kakhuri Mtsvane, Mcvivani, and Rkatsiteli; promoting grape producers’ associations and unions; conducting a survey on the domestic market and its segmentation; promoting cooperative wine-making; implementing effective wine quality control; limiting sales of falsified wine at the domestic market; developing the sales network for quality bulk wine at the domestic market; establishment of contract relationships in advance between grape growers, who are mostly ordinary farmers, and wine producers; developing the National Strategy for Agriculture Development; expanding the irrigation network; enforcing veterinary control and provision of veterinary services; enforcing food safety services; setting up agriculture extension services within higher and vocational education institutions; and ensuring accessibility of quality seed and planting materials.