The Khachapuri Index continued its upward trend in November 2017, with the average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian Khachapuri reaching 3.70 GEL. This is 1.8% higher month-on-month (compared to October 2017), and 7.1% higher year-on-year (compared to November 2016).

The average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri in October 2017 was 3.64 GEL, which is 0.2% higher month-on-month (compared to the previous month), and 7.2% higher year-on-year (compared to the same month of the previous year).

Based on a report prepared by international auditors, DQS GmbH issued a three-year quality management Certificate of Conformity with ISO 9001:2015 standard requirements, which focus on improving business management and system performance.

Nikoloz M., 65, from the Imeretian village of Jikhaishi, invested around 15,000 GEL into his 8.5 ha hazelnut orchard in 2012, hoping that one day his initiative would turn into a profitable business. Nikoloz was on his way to success up until this year, before the stink bug, or Asian pharosana, as Georgians call it, appeared in his orchard. While Nikoloz expected to harvest 800 kg – 1000 kg of hazelnuts per ha, the stink bug infestation reduced his harvest by 30-35%, resulting in a loss of more than 1,000 GEL per ha.

The cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri in October 2017 varied from 3.04 GEL to 4.18 GEL. The average price was 3.64 GEL, which is just slightly (0.1 %) lower than the previous month (September 2017). In annual terms (compared to October 2016), the Khachapuri Index showed quite a significant increase of 7.2%.