First olive processing plant opens in Georgia
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Georgia’s first ever olive processing plant has opened in eastern Georgia’s Kakheti region.
Yesterday Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili attended the opening of the factory, which was financially supported by a state program.
Within the program, about 300 hectares olive plantation was developed then a processing plant was built in Signagi district of Kakheti.
Photo by Prime Minister's press office
The plant will produce high-quality olive oil as well as packaged olives for selling locally and abroad.
"This was a diaspora investment; our follow Georgian who had left the country made the investment for the olive farm and processing plant back in his home country,” Kvirikashvili said.
"He employed 100 people and [the factory] produces organic, biologically clean olive oil and packaged olives.”
Prime Minister Kvirikashvili with local children in the village of Sakobo, Signagi, Georgia. Photo by Prime Minister's press office
"Within our agriculture support programs we have funded many interesting projects in regions. This project was one of them.”
The total investment of the project was 5 million GEL (about $ 2.1 million/ 2 million*).
*Currencies are equivalent to today's National Bank of Georgia exchange rate.
"An irreversible process of strengthening the agricultural sector has started in Georgia, which is very important as the strength of our country depends on the strength of our agriculture.”
Georgia will become a member of the International Olive Council at the end of November, which concerns Georgia as the third hub of olives in Europe after Spain and Italy, said the founder of Georgian Olive Giorgi Svanidze.
Georgia, which has been developing its olive industry for only 10 years now, has officially become the 17th member of an International Olive Council (IOC) and is now getting ready to assume its one-year presidency starting January 2020.