Talking about the strategy of NCFD (North Caucasus Federal District)
development, experts forecast that one of the projects to receive
federal investment is repairing the Military-Sukhumi road, which goes
through the main Caucasian mountain range and connects Stavropol
territory with Abkhazia. According to Slon.ru, the project costs may
exceed 90 billion rubles. But it has already been decided to include
the project within the framework of the strategy, because not only
does this road have social and economic benefits, but also political
ones, referring to preparations for the Olympic Games-2014 in Sochi.
Today Abkhazia and Russia are connected by only one road, along the
coast and at the Psou checkpoint there are many problems both for
tourists and small businessmen. According to Apsnypress, agricultural
products from Abkhazia have not been exported to Russia for 4 months.
There has been an act in place forbidding exports of agricultural
products to Russia without a declaration or a quality certificate on
the Russian-Abkhaz border since February 17th. The Russian side
demands a certificate for every shipment of agricultural produce grown
in Abkhazia, whether it’s a small or a large delivery. In order to
receive a license Abkhazia needs to send samples of the vegetables and
fruits to a laboratory in Krasnodar. This is why businessmen,
especially ones shipping produce in small amounts, stopped exporting.
Abkhazia has an agrochemical laboratory and specialists based in the
science research institute at the Abkhaz Academy of Sciences. However,
the certificates issued in this laboratory are invalid without
accreditation from the Federal agency on technical regulation and
metrology. Documents for accreditation have been sent from Sukhumi to
Moscow. Abkhaz exporters of large shipments may soon receive
certificates from Sukhumi, and small wholesalers – from Psou
checkpoint.
Before the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, the main Abkhaz agricultural
crops for export were tobacco (7000 tons in 1987), tea-plants,
essential oils and citrus fruits (approximately 70,000 tons annually),
grapes and horticulture (persimmon, figs, guava, hazelnut, pears,
apples). Grain cultures include corn, for hominy, replacing bread
here. Yet in the post-war years the agricultural population changed to
subsistence farming – flour, salt, sugar, vegetable oil. They were
buying industrial goods, using money they got from selling livestock,
honey, cheese, nuts, vegetables and fruit and exchanging.
After Russian recognition of Abkhazia’s independence there was fresh
hope that the agricultural industry would revive. However, the Abkhaz
opposition says that “existing on external help and fiscal methods,
the country lost the ability to develop its industrial sphere, there
are no processing facilities, the level of work in the agrarian sector
has fallen”.
Nonetheless, according to the Abkhaz Minister of Agriculture, Yuri
Akaba, “today the government is doing a lot to support the farmers and
the private economy”, in particular, by supporting the process of
technical re-equipment of the agricultural sector, the engineering
technology is purchased in Russia and Belarus. Moreover, Abkhazia
wants to increase the size of cultivated land for forage cultures, and
build on the ‘Abkhaz adjika sauce’ brand. But so far subsistence
farming continues, the lands are farmed using bulls and horses. “I
believe that the traditions still remain in the mentality of Abkhaz
farmers, when vegetables and milk products are produced for
themselves. Abkhazia is exporting small instalments of fresh greens,
seasonal vegetables and fruit, medlar, berries, but it is not enough”,
the minister says.
He recently returned from Italy and told Apsnypress that Abkhazia will
use the experience of South Tyrol in orchard tending, grape-growing
and livestock-raising. The agrarian sector of this province’s economy
takes lead position, yet its living standards are above that of other
Italian provinces. On June 19th Italian consultants will visit
Abkhazia. “We rely on the consultants for implementing modern
technology in villages, for example, in growing dwarf apple trees in
the foothills and other cultures”, Akaba said. 10% of all European
apples come from South Tyrol farmers, but private Abkhaz farms can
produce only products with a guaranteed and well-structured system.
Yekaterina Tesemnikova exclusively for VK
