From Geothermal Waters to Healthy Vegetable

The project aims at growing of greenhouse vegetables (tomato, red pepper, cucumber) from September till June.
Characteristics of tomato seed, which we intend to purchase in Holland:
- Supplier:"Semin" and/or "Nunhem"
- 2-2,5 plants on 1 sq.meter;
- Productivity: 40 kg per 1 sq. meter; 1 kv/m 2-2,5 plants
- Phase of vegetation: 100-105 days

Profits depend on sale market. Therefore, establishment of distribution network and significant discounts are planned.
Greenhouse on 10000 sq. meters land area will have the cheapest heating system of geothermal waters of 90 C of average annual temperature. Its deposit is enough for operation of 7-8 greenhouses of similar size. In average 20-30 C is enough to grow the tomato of high productivity.
Materials needed:
- Greenhouse construction (5000 sq. meters)
- Watering system and water reservoir
- Boiler and heating system
- Ventilation system
- Storage building including climate-controller
- Small size tractor for transportation of product, etc.
- Plastic cover
- Lorry of 5-10 tone capacity
- Boxes for transportation
- Boxes for seedlings
- Organic fertilizers (peat, black soil, manure)
- Dutch certified seeds
- Bumble-bee
- Ferro-concrete support dyke
- Uniforms for workers
- Generator
- Equipment
Labour force:
- Director -1
- Manager -1
- Secretary – 1
- Accountant -1
- Guard -3
- Driver – 1
- Technologist – 2
- Workers – 8
Total: 17 People
Technical personnel will be selected through open competition among local population. Foreign experts will provide two one-week seminars on production methodology.
During cold season, local vegetable product covers only 10% of Georgian market. The rest 90% is imported from Turkey, Armenia, and Greece. Due to the lowest prime cost, the local vegetables will be highly competitive. Because of high demand on the product the project has no special target group. Towns of Poti, Batumi, Zugdidi, Kutaisi and Tbilisi are potential target area.
Row materials needed:
- Seeds (“Nunhems Holland”)
- Peat (Poti layer in 15 km from the project site)
- Organic fertilizers (local farmers)
- Pots and labels (local suppliers)

We will market cheap and ecologically clean product advertised in advance. Supply of locally grown vegetables reduces during winter period and covers only 10% of the local market. From September to May the prices on Turkish product range from 0.8$ to 2$ plus transportation fee and VAT that increases prices by 30%. Compared to this, our product is cheaper by 50%.
The production technology considers pollination by means of bee that helps with growing of ecologically clean product. Turkish entrepreneurs actively use different chemical fertilizers as they provide their product to the third countries. By increasing of productivity they can reduce prices. We will enrich the greenhouse soil by means of natural fertilisers.

Manure is natural fertilizer which is kept in special reservoirs. After adding water the excrements are boiled and produce natural gas as natural fertiliser.
So, we get ecologically clean and cheap vegetables that will replace Turkish product and will be affordable for the local population.
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Ecologically clean product due to the:
- Use of heating system of geothermal waters as alternative source of energy with existing drilling station and hence, positive environmental influence considering the worldwide problem of access to ecologically clean energy sources.
- Materials (peat, water, manure) are available in the project area

I believe that the fight against poverty and reasonable use of natural resources to produce healthy food is critical to take care for people’s welfare and health. To prove this, In 2004 I established the first social enterprise in Ozurgeti town and started greenhouse business to employ mentally disabled people. This experience provoked me to further develop and strengthen the business. In 2006 I won the Bid network Wild Card that gave me more experience in business sphere and enabled me to contact with foreign investors.
Through the greenhouse business we aim to produce greenhouse vegetables during nine months, from September till June, when the market lacks of local vegetables because of inappropriate climate conditions to grow vegetables out-door. During this period the price on vegetables such as tomato, red pepper and cucumber is very expensive and only Turkish product is available on local market.

The project is focused on use of natural resources, namely:

- Organic fertilizers (manure)
- Soil – black soil and peat
- Heating – local resources of geothermal waters
- The only non-natural row materials which we intend to use are means to treat plants to protect from insects;

Through realization of this project, we will contribute to employment of people in the region with mostly marginalized groups of population in Georgia. About 100 people will be employed in direct and indirect ways (make of boxes, supply of manure, etc.). 20% of our profit will be treansfered to the the country’s budget and social taxes will be paied to the volnerable layer of population. Local product of high quality will replace imported one. The company staff will be retrained on modern technologies of growing production. The greenhouse manpower will be selected among the local population that will contribute to the termination of the process of flowing the labour forces out of the country. At the same time we will not be forced to pay for their housing. We will provide them and their families with health insurance policy.