Georgia is stepping up its efforts to develop the country’s agricultural sector by opening up a new tea sorting and packing factory.
A new factory to sort and package tea has officially opened in the western Ozurgeti region. The factory occupied a total area of 1,300 sqm.
Tea packing and sorting factory in Ozurgeti region. Photo by Prime Minister's webpage.
It was initiated by local tea production company Georgian Geoplant Company and financed by the Government initiated Produce in Georgia scheme with $2 million USD.
The new facility was officially opened today by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Georgian Geoplant Company director Mikheil Chkuaseli.
Chkuaseli said the Produce in Georgia project, which offered funds and support to new businesses in the local production market, deserved high praise.
2015 will be a decisive year for tea production as the Government took this field as a priority [development] area,” he said.
Chkuaseli added the new enterprise would place tea in bags and various packages that would lead to increased export capacities.
He also gave several details of Geoplant’s future plans.
In the future we intend to grow the capacity of domestic products, and with that I mean to increase current production to about 20 new varieties of tea.
Geoplant intends to increase export. Photo by Prime Minister's webpage.
Since launching Geoplant, we have produced 65 different tea products, 45 of them are in active production,” he added.
The company produced the popular Gurieli tea and exported its products to Ukraine, Russia, Baltic States and several European countries.
"All markets are important to us and we are going to increase our exports,” Chkuaseli said