MOU for Building a Modern Infrastructure of Animal Movement Route
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Minister of Agriculture, the National Food Agency and SDC funded, Mercy Corps Georgia implemented ALCP on March 31st 2015. Within the framework of this memorandum ALCP will facilitate the building of two Bio-security yards with water points on the Animal Movement Route in Kvemo Kartli region, another three Bio-security yards will be financed from the State Budget. The Bio-security Yards are concreted, fenced areas with sheep dipping bathes and cattle showers for disinfection and water points. The Animal Movement Route is used by over a million head of sheep and cattle each year as they move from winter pastures in Kakheti to summer pastures in Samstkhe Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli and Tusheti and is vital for the livestock of Georgia.
Signing this Memorandum was preceded by four years work of the ALCP team with various players from public, private and civil sectors of Georgia. SDC’s support has been pivotal from the beginning of the process. After identifying the Animal Movement Route as a key constraint for development of the Georgian sheep sector and as the main source for spreading the animal diseases, the programme efforts were directed to advocate this issue at all levels of government and facilitate involvement in this process all stakeholders using the programme Advisory Committee. A documentary film “The Road”, strengthening the Georgian Shepherds Association, Tsintskaro village bypass construction and the concrete AMR infrastructural plan provided by the international livestock expert Edward Hamer have built the Government’s momentum – which following the collapse of the Soviet Union will be first time when the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Food Agency will work to reduce the risk of livestock diseases and support sheep sector development by improving the animal movement route infrastructure.