Demand for local greenhouse strawberries in Georgia is growing, prompting businesses to invest more in their production. In 2022, Ma gemme built a second greenhouse with an investment of 350 000 GEL ($117,450). In an interview with BM.GE, company co-founder Keti Dolidze cited increased demand as the main reason for the expansion.
To finance its expansion, the company took advantage of the concessional agro-lending program run by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.
The company added a 2 000 m2 greenhouse, doubling production. According to Dolidze, there are 40 000 plants in total in the greenhouses allowing to harvest more than 20 tonnes of strawberries annually.
“The experience of building the first greenhouse helped us avoid the mistakes we made earlier. First, we changed the construction company. The main question is to find a reliable company in the market. We also paid more attention to the heating system this time. Our winter production will be concentrated in the new greenhouse, not in the old one,” Dolidze said.
In a comment for EastFruit, Dolidze added that there is demand both in the local and export markets. “I was contacted by a fruit exporting company in the UAE. The company needs at least 300 kg of greenhouse strawberries daily. The problem is that there is not a single greenhouse in Georgia that could supply such a volume every day.”
Ma gemmes strawberries are sold through an online supermarket and in packaging under the Planta brand in various supermarkets, but after expansion, the company plans to sell directly to supermarkets, including Fresco and Nikora. In this case, strawberries will be labeled as Ma gemme. In addition to sales in supermarkets, Ma gemme organizes agricultural tours for children to the greenhouse, where they can harvest strawberries themselves.
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