Hello,

I am Gocha Guledani, from one of the most beautiful parts of Georgia, Zemo Svaneti, specifically from the village of Lenjeri. I am a traffic engineer and a budding entrepreneur with a keen interest in greenhouses and organic agriculture. Now, you might wonder about the connection between greenhouse farming and Svaneti. It may sound a bit peculiar, but it is a fact that greenhouses are now flourishing in Zemo Svaneti.

My journey into this business began when I stumbled upon an information announcement in Mestia a few years ago. I discovered that a project GRETA supported by the European Union, Sweden, and Austria, was about to launch, encompassing our region. This project aimed to finance mountain tourism and organic agriculture, including greenhouse farming.

As many of you know, the Svaneti region, like many other mountainous regions of Georgia, bears harsh climatic conditions. The summers are short, and most crops fail to reach full ripening. I saw this seemingly complex idea as an exciting challenge and decided to write a project and participate. I selected the perfect location for setting up a greenhouse, and soon enough, we, together with the project, began working together on this endeavour.

The first stage involved building and maintaining a greenhouse, and soon after, I received my first support, such as seedlings. I decided to cultivate bell peppers and eggplants in the initial year, but I had hoped for a better outcome. It was certainly disappointing, and the temptation to give up was intense. However, I firmly believed that perseverance was the key, and I continued to toil with the support of the project. Even in the second year, extreme cold weather conditions posed challenges, and my desired results remained elusive.

Ordinarily, this marked the end of my story, considering the discouraging start. But fortunately, fate had other plans. You would certainly agree that I had numerous reasons to abandon my work. But failure should not deter one from pursuing their dreams. This sentiment is what I would like to advise other aspiring entrepreneurs as well. 

Despite the challenges, I  persisted and shifted my focus to cultivating strawberries. This time, our dedication paid off. The strawberries flourished, and that marked a turning point in my journey.

We received escalated to a new level with the donors' funded consultations. I underwent comprehensive training sessions, and we were also assigned an agricultural expert to guide us. With the knowledge acquired during the training sessions and the invaluable assistance of the professional expert, the dream of establishing a strawberry culture in Svaneti, with the support of the  European Union, Sweden and Austria, materialised into a reality.

Moreover, the strawberries cultivated within the 150 square meter greenhouse garnered significant interest from the local market; although the demand was modest, it was still satisfied. This effort generated a modest income but also served as motivation, proving that even in the challenging climatic conditions of Svaneti, the cultivation of strawberries was possible. 

Drawing from my limited experience in this field, the organic direction in Georgia holds promise. I encourage others to seriously consider this path, as it contributes to the development of tourism but also resonates with consumers who value locally sourced organic products.

 As for my plans, my story has taught me not to fear difficulties and to embrace new challenges. The expansion has become crucial, considering I anticipate reaching the maximum harvest potential of 150 square meters by the third year. Beyond that point, it is physically impossible to expect any more growth. Therefore, I intend to build additional greenhouses. With this in mind, I am eager to explore new business partnerships and welcome contact via email: gochaguledani1960@gmail.com. I hope my story will serve as a source of inspiration for other aspiring entrepreneurs.

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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. For more information about the GRETA project, please visit: www.gretaproject.ge.

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.

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