Indexes
March 2024 | Agri Review
01
April
2024
In June 2023, responding to appeals from the Georgian Flour Producers Association, the Georgian government imposed a temporary import duty on wheat flour imported from Russia. This advocacy by the Association began after Russia implemented a “floating tariff” on wheat in 2021, making wheat imports more expensive compared to wheat flour. Consequently, wheat flour imports surged, nearly replacing wheat imports entirely. This led to the closure of many Georgian mills, together with difficulties for local wheat producers in selling their wheat domestically. The surge in flour imports also heightened the risk of completely displacing domestically produced flour with Russian imports.
Despite Georgia’s increase in domestic wheat production over the past decade, the country still imports nearly 80% of its wheat – primarily from Russia. To mitigate the long-term risks of food scarcity, it is recommended that a long-term vision is developed for the sector; wheat yields are boosted; the quality of local production is enhanced; more is invested in infrastructure; incentives are provided for wheat producers; value-added products are promoted; and that import markets are diversified. While each of these measures is vital for the wheat sector’s development, designing a long-term strategy in collaboration with every value chain actor is imperative. In addition, given that small-scale farming is prevalent in Georgia, it is crucial to focus on increasing wheat yields by adopting modern agricultural practices.
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December 2023 | Agri Review
29
December
2023
Citrus production in Georgia is currently experiencing a declining trend, despite the implementation of a tangerine state subsidy program. Under the program, farmers receive 30 instead of 15 tetri for 1 kg of non-standard (low-quality) tangerines.
September 2023 | Agri Review
29
September
2023
Rtveli 2023 commenced this August. Similar to previous years, the Government of Georgia (GoG) is subsidizing the grape harvest again to support farmers who have suffered from worsening climate conditions. Based on information from MEPA representatives, the subsidy's primary aim is to guarantee that even producers with lower-quality grapes can still sell their products.
June 2023 | Agri Review
30
June
2023
In June 2023, the National Statistics Office of Georgia issued its annual publication on the agricultural sector – Agriculture of Georgia 2022. The publication estimates that agriculture, forestry, and fishing comprised 7.5% of the GDP (constant prices) in 2022, which is lower than the 8% share in 2021, but in line with general trends over the last few years (agricultural GDP being 7-8% of GDP on average).
March 2023 | Agri Review
31
March
2023
The budget for the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture (MEPA) amounted to 698.5 million GEL (an increase of 10.0 million GEL) in 2023.
December 2022 | Agri Review
26
December
2022
Hazelnuts are one of the most important crops for Georgia in terms of export: between 2010-2021, they accounted for around 4.4% of total exports (GeoStat, 2022). In 2013, the quantity of exported hazelnuts reached its maximum level (30 ths. tons), in the following years, it then decreased to 19 ths. tons alongside an increase in value, thus indicating higher prices per exported kg of Georgian hazelnut.
