Agriculture Minister: "Georgia will not face a wheat shortage"

Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili said that the government has the responsibility of ensuring Georgia's wheat supply. Photo: Ministry of Agriculture.

Agenda.ge, 27 Apr 2020 - 15:15, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgia will not face a shortage of wheat despite the fact that Russia has halted wheat exports to the country, claims Georgian Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili. 

We have the responsibility of ensuring Georgia's wheat supply... There are no questions regarding wheat supplies because the ministry is monitoring and taking all the necessary measures to fill the critically needed minimum supply in the country", Davitashvili said.

The Russian Agriculture Ministry announced on April 26 that it was suspending its export of wheat, corn, rye, barley and meslin until July 1, disregarding warnings from international organisations who have asked countries not to disrupt global food supply chains during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Executive Director of the Georgian Flour Producers Association Levan Silagava also stated that a wheat shortage is not expected in Georgia despite Russia’s ban on wheat exports. 

The wheat shipment has not stopped. Companies that have taken the relevant documents continue to export wheat. Georgian companies have contracts. We know Russia is a bit unpredictable, but even today we have contacted our partners in Russia and everyone confirmed to us that the contracts will definitely be fulfilled. Shortages are not expected, we always have two months' supply", Silagava said.

Silagava said that according to the Agriculture Minister Georgia is working with the Americans to import 50,000 tonnes of wheat "which will be imported in about a month and a half".

To note, the production of wheat, barley, potatoes, stone fruits and citrus decreased in Georgia in 2019, while the production of maize, nuts and subtropical fruits increased in the country, show the preliminary data of 2019 published by the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat).

In 2019 Georgia produced:

  • 102,500 tonnes of wheat (-4.3% year-on-year decrease)
  • 54,400 tonnes of barley (-5.7%)
  • 205,900 tonnes of maize (+6%)
  • 208,600 tonnes of potatoes (-12.2%)