Peach growers in Georgia’s Kakheti region are facing a difficult season as farmgate prices have fallen by around 50% compared with last year, despite the high quality of the crop. In some cases, prices have declined even more sharply, leaving producers unable to cover rising cultivation and harvesting costs, EastFruit reports.
Farmers primarily attribute the price collapse to lower exports to the Russian market, which has traditionally been the main destination for Georgian peaches.
The situation is particularly challenging for owners of large orchards covering 10–15 hectares. These growers need to sell substantial volumes within a very limited period but often struggle to find buyers quickly. Georgia’s insufficient fruit-processing capacity further reduces the alternatives available to producers.
Peaches have a short shelf life and rapidly lose their commercial appearance after harvesting. As a result, farmers are often forced to accept the prevailing market price immediately, even when it is below the cost of production.
Growers say the quality of this year’s crop is high, while several varieties have performed well during hot weather without additional irrigation. However, good yields and strong fruit quality have not been enough to offset the sharp decline in prices.
Production expenses are also continuing to rise. Farmers are paying more for crop-protection products, orchard maintenance, machinery and other agricultural inputs. At the same time, weather-related risks—including hailstorms and heavy rainfall—remain a serious threat to orchards and farmers’ incomes.
The current market pressure has renewed calls for Georgia to invest in fruit-processing infrastructure. Additional capacity for producing juices, purées, dried fruit and other processed products could reduce growers’ dependence on the fresh market, absorb seasonal surpluses and make the country’s peach industry more resilient to price fluctuations.
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