Georgia expects plentiful, high quality citrus harvest 2015

After the last year’s poor citrus harvest, Georgia is expecting a rich and high quality ‘orange harvest’ this season.

The typical citrus season runs from November to January and in this time it is expected more than 135,000 tonnes of citrus fruit will be harvested, of which 105,000 tonnes will be picked in the northwestern Adjara region.

Meanwhile Georgia’s western Guria region, which is rich with citrus plantations, was expected to generate about 25,000 tonnes of citrus this season. Of this 16,500 tonnes of mandarins are expected to be picked, 880 tonnes oranges and 900 tonnes of lemon.

The Agriculture Ministry of Autonomous Republic of Adjara announced this year’s harvest would be double the haul of last year and the quality of citrus will be better than in 2014, when only 80,000 tonnes of citrus was picked up.

Adjara’s Agriculture Minister Zaur Putkaradze told local newspaper Resonance this year’s harvest would be "one of the best”.

He said the citrus fruit, once picked, will be exported to the main markets in Russia, Ukraine and central Asian countries.