Government subsidises 2016 grape harvest

From January 1, 2016 excise duty for one litre of alcoholic beverages made from fruit, including grapes, would drop from 9.2 GEL to 6 GEL. Photo by N.Alavidze/Agenda.ge.

Agenda.ge, 13 Jul 2016 - 11:57, Tbilisi,Georgia

Today Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili announced the Government will subsidise the 2016 grape harvest and support farmers to completely sell their produce.

The PM stressed the money allocated from the state budget for this purpose would differ based on the grape varieties.

We have made the decision after long discussions. We are focusing on two directions; on one hand we want to develop the local winery and on the other hand we will develop and explore new markers,” the PM said.

Opponents may say we mustn’t subsidise the harvest and we must spend the money in some other direction but I want to explain that we are allocating money for the development of both directions,” he said.

Kvirikashvili stressed after comprehensive support of the field, there would be no need to budget money for farmers.

He added in the first six months of the year Georgia's wine exports increased by 44 percent.

Last year the Government paid 0.35 GEL to a farmer per kilogram of Rkatsiteli and Kakhuri Mtsvane (white grape varieties sold to factories) and 0.15 GEL for Saperavi (red grape variety).

This year the Government planned to pay 0.45 GEL per kilogram of Rkatsiteli and 0.20 GEL for Saperavi.