Bumper harvest: Georgia’s peach exports surge in June

Georgia is exporting significantly more peaches this season to several foreign countries – mainly Russia – thanks to a plentiful harvest.

This month, Georgia’s peach exports were more than 1,000 percent higher than the same time in 2015, figures showed.

From June 1-28 Georgia exported 942 tonnes of peaches, while in June 2015 Georgia exported 52 tonnes of the same fruit.

The five countries which imported the largest number of Georgian peaches this month were Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Ukraine.

Russia imported 61 percent of the peaches exported by Georgia, Azerbaijan imported 25 percent and Kazakhstan imported 11 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgian-grown peaches were also sold very successfully in its own local market. Figures showed about 5,000 tonnes of peaches were sold this month in Georgia.

Georgia’s Ministry of Agriculture said this season’s peach harvest was very plentiful and would produce about 30,000 tonnes of peaches this season.

To support the local peach harvest, a special group was created in Gurjaani, in Georgia’s Kakheti region, to help farmers prepare all necessary documents needed during the harves, processing or export periods.