Press Release

USAID Provides New Assistance to Combat BMSB in 2020

USAID/Georgia provided Georgia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture with pheromone dual lures to combat the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB). This assistance from the American people was handed over to Zurab Chekurashvili, head of the National Food Agency (NFA) by George Managadze, chief-of-party of USAID’s Georgia Hazelnut Improvement Program (G-HIP). The lures will help Georgian farmers combat BMSB and deliver a larger, higher quality hazelnut harvest in 2020.

The lures were manufactured by the U.S.-based company Trece Inc., one of the world’s leading firms in insect monitoring and control. The lures will be used for BMSB monitoring in all regions of Georgia, with “attract and kill” stations established in 500 villages in Samegrelo, Guria, Imereti, and Adjara, covering more than 60,000 ha of hazelnut orchards.

The NFA will begin anti-BMSB activities in April 2020, using the lures for monitoring proposes and setting up “attract and kill” stations from May onward. The assistance is provided as part of U.S. Government support for Georgia’s economic growth and rural development. USAID assistance supports long-term growth in Georgia’s agriculture sector through partnerships with the Government of Georgia and local farmers, helping build capacity and facilitating private sector investment.

About USAID’s Georgia Hazelnut Improvement Project (G-HIP): USAID G-HIP is implemented as a Global Development Alliance between USAID and AgriGeorgia/Ferrero that leverages the technical and financial resources of each partner to broaden, deepen and advance the public and private sectors development of the hazelnut sector. AgriGeorgia/Ferrero and G-HIP work closely with and through two associations, Georgian Hazelnut Growers Association (GHGA) and Hazelnut Exporters and Processors Association (HEPA), to reach producers and processors and to strengthen both horizontal and vertical relationships that improve hazelnut sector productivity and increase market linkages. For more information, please visit: https://www.cnfa.org/program/georgia-hazelnut-improvement-project/.

About USAID in Georgia: As the leading development agency of the U.S. government, USAID supports Georgia to build the capacity to finance, plan, and implement its own solutions to development challenges. USAID has worked in Georgia since 1992, supporting the country’s transformation into a developing democracy that is increasingly integrated into Western political, security, and economic institutions. More than 30 USAID programs stimulate inclusive economic growth, develop democratic governance, enhance energy security, and foster social inclusion. For more information, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/georgia.