From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Mon Feb 10 2003 - 09:46:54 EST
Below please find the thirty-eighth issue of the electronic Press Club
weekly Bulletin prepared by Yerevan Press Club, Yeni Nesil Journalists
Union of Azerbaijan and BS Press Association (Georgia), under the South
Caucasus Network for Civil Accord project supported by the European
Commission.
The previous issues of the Bulletin can be viewed on the web:
www.pressclubs.org
Armenia
THE SEEDS OF COOPERATION ARE SOWED IN AGRIBUSINESS
In springtime, people in Lori usually turn to green fodder - and this a
common situation for other regions of Armenia. When warm weather comes,
the villagers stop slaughter cattle, allowing it to gain weight, this is
why the tables of people, who are forced to heavily rely on cheap
greenery, become scarce.
Formerly, the deliveries of early potato from Georgia (Akhalkalaki) and
Azerbaijan, where sowing is possible already in February, allowed
diversifying the ration. However, all ties were broken at once when the
Soviet Union collapsed and due to the further conflicts, and there were
no other food substitutes for the season. The Association of seed
producers "Satsil", founded in 2000, is trying to reestablish those
vital ties on the region. The association, jointly with its partners
from Georgia and Azerbaijan is implementing a project aimed at the
development of cooperation in agribusiness. (The project is financed by
the Eurasia Foundation's South Caucasus Cooperation Program).
- Corresponding organizations exist in Georgia and Azerbaijan, there are
centers of agrarian reforms, who among other issues are also dealing
with the issue of potato cultivation, - Ferdinand Grigoryan, the
executive director of "Satsil" (Seedlings) NGO told.
- We intend to assist our farmers to form a civilized regional market of
potato seeds. Simply saying, Armenia will organize the production of
seeds not only for it's internal use, but for supplying to Georgian and
Azerbaijanian farmers.
In spring the exported Armenian potato seeds will return to us in the
form of early-ripe potato for sale.
The point is that Armenia, with its high mountainous zones is the most
suitable for creating seed farms in Tashir (former Kalinino), Stepanavan
and, to some extent in Spitak. This will allow, first of all, not to
import any seeds to the country in two years.
High quality seeds are well grown high up in the mountains: there they
are safe from various viruses and from general degradation. However, it
is better to use those seeds on the plains - then it is the turn of
Azerbaijan and partially of Georgia.
The profits that can be made from such kind of industrial cooperation
between the three countries are obvious. Not only farmers will benefit,
but the consumers too. Today monopolies are present to some extent in
all of the countries, and the prices are imposed. Meanwhile, seeds are
80 percent of the harvest. When this problem is solved, and competition
is present in seed-growing sphere, the prices for the product will
inevitably fall down.
Last year in Azerbaijan and Georgia one-hectare areas have been
allocated and experimental sowing was made in order to bring the types
of cultures in accordance with each other. In turn, in Armenia, in
Tashir, it is planned to sow in accordance with highly effective Israeli
technologies. (By the way, seminars with participation of agribusiness
experts have already taken place in Armenia and Georgia).
There is plenty of work to do still. "Satsil" association is planning to
organize a number of meetings between Armenian, Georgian and
Azerbaijanian farmers, during which they will try to come to a mutual
agreement regarding the prices, environmental problems, jointly used
technologies, for example, decide which cultures should be sowed after
potato, in order for the soil to rest and for the seeds to degrade.
The result of this would be that the potato growers of the three
countries will have a clear picture of a well-organized regional market
with the descriptions of possible quantity and quality of the products,
jointly used technologies, consulting services used by the farmers, etc.
Already this year, during the fall field works it is planned to
cooperate in accordance with the scheme "seeds in exchange of early ripe
potato".
Azerbaijan
MASS MEDIA TO HAVE THEIR OWN PACT AND COUNCIL
The Azerbaijani mass media will sign a Pact on the press. This step is
being taken to consolidate efforts to protect mass media and this is
clearly demonstrated by the fact that the Pact's main slogan will be "An
attack on one media outlet means an attack on all". Illegal persecution
and violence against one participant of the pact will be viewed as
violence against all members of the treaty. And there are more than
enough examples of pressure on the Azerbaijani media. Law suits totaling
$45 million have been filed against Yeni Musavat newspaper alone. The
newspaper's editor'in-chief, Rauf Arifogly, has even joked in despair:
"This money would be enough to provide state support for the leading
mass media.
The Pact may be signed at the 1st congress of Azerbaijani journalists,
due on March 1. Preparations for the congress are drawing to a close.
The main outcome of the forum of journalists must be the establishment
of the Council on the Press, which is to play the role of a judge in the
dispites between the government and mass media. Debate is currently
underway concerning ways of founding the council. Some think that all
interested media outlets should be allowed to be founders of the
council, while others maintain that the inclusion of all 150 editions in
the council will make it cumbersome and awkward, which will complicate
disputable issues even further. As a compromise, it is also suggested
that only media-holdings and journalistic organizations be represented
in the council.
Georgia
WHOLESOME COMPETITION
As updated on January 1, 2003, there are 37000 jobless officially
registered in Georgia. Nearly a half of them are women. The number of
registered vacancies falls short of 9000, whereof 60% are in the private
sector. Statistics has it that unemployment benefits were made available
to 1866 people in December last year, the allowance coming to GEL 13,2
(approximately 6,5 dollars), on average. Nothing to be proud of, given
the fact the actual level of unemployment is far higher. Still, in the
nineties of the past century the statistics bespoke a worse situation.
One of those struggling to improve things is a Georgian NGO, non-profit
foundation "Constanta". Enjoying support of donors, the entity decided
to help up an initiative - providing micro-credits to small businesses
on terms laxer than those laid down in banks. It launched a special
program, which for five years fed on financial support by UNHCR,
American organization <Save the children>, USAID, Consulting Group for
Assistance to the Poor (CGAP), as well as Shorebank Advisory Services.
- Initially, we made a point of supporting women only, which, by the
way, was one of the requirements set forth by donors, - recalls Kote
Tsereteli, "Constanta" deputy director. - A woman is psychologically
more ready to adapt to new conditions and tends to spend less money on
her own needs and more to maintain her family. We set priorities to
infuse our support to as trade, production and services.
The credits were not large - equaling several hundred Lari and repayable
within a couple of months. The recipients were not leave anything as a
deposit - the NGO's experts assessed their micro-business and its
prospects. Notably, each of the group of recipients sharing a credit
bore responsibility for all. Those found to have applied the credit sums
rationally could expect to receive larger credits.
- We established a regular monitoring to be in the know of how
effectively the credits were used, - said Kote Tsereteli. - Now I can
assure you that the credits helped our recipients expand their
activities - they leased shops, bakeries and beauty salons. And, their
incomes were going up.
The demand for the micro-credits soared, and "Constanta" started
providing individual loans of up to $ 3,000. Again the terms were easier
to meet than those in banks. Later the NGO made men "peers" to women,
whereupon the number of its recipients boosted beyond 16000.
The donors' financial support under the program ended late in 2002,
however "Constanta" has not given up. Being a non-profit organization,
it does not retain interest on the credits it provides and makes sums
recovered available to new applicants along with the dividends it
collects.
- We are not "lonely" any more, - says Kote Tsereteli. - There are
several organizations functioning in Georgia today that have given
priority to furnishing credits in support of small and medium-sized
enterprise. Also, underway are state programs of the same orientation.
The competition is only pleasing - this will have a positive impact on
small business and the country's
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