On 22 February 2010 an official handover ceremony took place in Georgia where 122 tractors and 25 New Holland combines were handed over to Georgia's Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The ceremony celebrated another successful completion of procurement exercise by the Japanese Business Team in Sutton, UK and Tokyo, Japan with great assistance from Crown Agents' representative in Georgia.
The Government of Japan allocated 1.2 billion Japanese Yen to Georgia under the Japanese Non-Project Grant Aid programme and it was agreed the allocation would be aimed at the development of the agricultural sector in Georgia. New machinery imported to Georgia will be distributed among five regions in order to introduce new technologies which will be available to farmers.
The ceremony was attended by high ranking officials from the Georgian Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Micheil Saakashvili, the President of Georgia, personally tested the new machinery.
Japan was represented by the Ambassador, Mr Masayoshi Kamohara, the Attache, Ms Masumi Takaragawa, and Mr Noriyoshi Watanabe. Crown Agents was represented by Jane Sysoeva, Crown Agents' Regional Manager, CIS, and Marika Goguadze, Crown Agents' representative in Georgia.
This event had broad coverage in the Georgian media, quoting the President saying: "I thank the Japanese Government for the equipment. This support is very important for Georgia. This kind of technology is something new for Georgian farmers".
A great number of agricultural machinery such as ploughs, potato cultivating equipment, harrows, seeders and ridgers were also purchased under the Grant Aid and handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
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