The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, David Songulashvili, visited the "Royal Trout Hatchery" enterprise in the village of Digdghvabuna, Khoni Municipality, which was established with the support of the Rural Development Agency. The Minister reviewed the trout fingerling production process and got familiar with the company`s operational capacity.

"Aquaculture is one of the most promising sectors of agriculture and has significant development potential in Georgia. The state aims to support the sustainable growth of the aquaculture sector, increase production capacity, and encourage greater involvement of the private sector.

It is essential that Georgia has already developed the Aquaculture Sustainable Development Strategy for 2024–2028, which sets out the key directions for the advancement of the sector.

In the mentioned process, particular importance is attached to the adoption of modern technologies, support for farmers, and the strengthening of laboratory capabilities, which will ensure effective diagnosis of fish diseases and the production of safe, high-quality products", - said David Songulashvili.

LLC "Royal Trout Hatchery" specializes in the production of trout fingerlings. The enterprise has an annual production capacity of 2 million fingerlings, with all output sold on the domestic market. The facility employs five permanent staff members, while the number of employees increases to ten during the seasonal period.

The company is a beneficiary of the Rural Development Agency. In 2024, LLC "Royal Trout Hatchery" benefited from the Preferential Agrocredit Project to finance the construction and rehabilitation of facilities, as well as the purchase of modern equipment.

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture was accompanied by the Deputy Minister, Giorgi Tskrialashvili; the Director of the Rural Development Agency, Zurab Gozalishvili; the Head of the National Food Agency, Giorgi Iakobashvili; and representatives of the local government.