"Greetings to Obama from Georgia's farmers! I started my first greenhouse with a USAID grant. Now, I have six greenhouses and generate ½ million Lari per year in revenue. USAID really supported me and my partners by giving us a good start." --Genadi Asatiani

Genadi Asatiani and his family own about a hectare of land in Western Georgia’s Tsaishi Village. In 2013, he applied for and received a small grant from USAID to build a greenhouse heated entirely by an underground hot spring. 

In just three years, Genadi has expanded his business to include six greenhouses and fourteen employees. He sells his cucumbers, greens, roses, tomatoes, seedlings, coriander, and sweet peppers to restaurants and other distributors in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital city. The greenhouses are not only environmentally friendly, but they are also cost effective, requiring only $1,700/year in energy expenses.

Now, Genadi’s neighbors are following his example and starting their own successful energy- efficient greenhouses. With just a small amount of assistance, Genadi and his neighbors are not only improving their own lives and livelihoods, but they are also helping to strengthen the economy of their village and the surrounding area.

Over half of Georgia’s population works in agriculture, yet it constitutes only 9% of Georgia’s GDP. USAID supports Georgian farmers and processors in accessing the finance, technologies, and infrastructure they need to support themselves, their families, and their communities.

We are pleased to continue our support for economic growth in Georgia by launching the new Zrda program, which means “growth” in Georgian. Zrda will build on past collaborations to continue creating economic opportunities in the communities that need them the most.