July 29 2008, 13:07

Georgian fruit producers are not glad with ample harvest

After bitter experience of last year, fruit and vegetable producers in Georgia have the most reason to worry. After Russia put an embargo on Georgian products and closed its market, Georgian farmers had problems with selling their fruits and vegetables, informed Georgia Online.

Last year, Georgia harvested ample crop of apples and mandarins and the state opened fruit processing production in order to simplify life of the producers. For instance, Georgian Product Company having at its disposal 3 fruit processing plants bought 20.000 tonnes of mandarins, 14.000 tonnes of apples and 5.000 tonnes of grape at people. Georgian Product Company fairly carried out the Government task, however operated at a loss, for example, 750.000 tonnes of grape concentrate had to be sold at cost as the market was overfilled by this product. There was no sales market for citrus plants, that is why Georgian Product Company had a way out – bottle juices itself.

“This year as the last one, the state will help farmers in harvest placement, promised the Minister of Agriculture of Georgia, Bakur Quezereli. – Last year, $2 bln was directed to export of apples and $822 thsd to improvement of citrus exports. Improvement means, for example, low crediting for concrete export. Processing industry partially improved getting credits for raw material procurement and its further processing.”

At the moment, 30 fruit and vegetable processing enterprises function in Georgia getting direct financial support from the Government. These are small-, mid- and large-scale enterprises that can process a big volume of fruits. Processing plants make largely concentrate from Georgian fruits but not a final product – fruit juices.