Georgia exported about 700 tons of blueberries this season

“This year, Georgia exported about 700 tons of blueberries. There are good prerequisites for further growth in the production and export of this berry,” said Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Levan Davitashvili.

The blueberry season in Georgia began in early June and is almost over.

“This year, about 700 tons of blueberries were exported from the country, for several million dollars. Whereas a few years ago, Georgia did not export blueberries at all. If this interest from the farmers continues, then in the future, we will expect the export of products worth tens of millions of dollars. Our farmers have accumulated experience in blueberry production. The state is also intensively involved in this process. In particular, the Plant the Future project provides significant grant aid and co-financing, which is a motivation for investors. The special climatic conditions in Georgia allow us to export when there are relatively more demand and less competition on the market. Therefore, the country must use this competitive advantage. Blueberries will be one of the crops that bring significant income for Georgia,” Levan Davitashvili said.

Today, the total area of ​​both already fruitful and new blueberry gardens in Georgia is more than 700 hectares. Most of them are created due to the state’s support.

According to the National Statistics Office of Georgia, the export of blueberries and other berries of the Vaccinium variety over the past five years in monetary terms was: in 2015 – $ 214.9 thousand, in 2016 – $ 474.8 thousand, in 2017 – $ 477.1 thousand, in 2018 – $ 445.5 thousand, in 2019 – $ 984.7 thousand.

Meanwhile, only in June 2020 (the figures for July have not yet been published), Georgia exported blueberries (and other berries of the Vaccinium variety) for $ 2 million 407.8 thousand. The primary export market for blueberries in June was Russia.