Early grape harvest begins in Kakheti after heavy hail damages 4,600 ha of vineyards
Farmers are picking hail-damaged grapes in the towns of Kvareli, Gurjaani, Lagodekhi and Telavi in Kakheti. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The grape harvest has started early in the Georgian wine region of Kakheti after heavy hail and wind destroyed 4,600 ha of vineyards in about 30 villages this week.
Farmers are picking hail-damaged grapes in the towns of Kvareli, Gurjaani, Lagodekhi and Telavi in Kakheti.
Harvest began yesterday while as of today, about 1,200 tonnes of grape has already been processed.
The government of Georgia will pay 3,000 GEL per hectare of vineyard to a farmer whose grapes have been completely destroyed.
This will be a one-time assistance to help farmers restore their vineyards and start production again", said Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili.
In addition, the state is paying 80 tetri for 1 kg of the Rkatsiteli grape variety and 1 GEL for Saperavi.
Davitashvili said that farmers whose orchards have been destroyed will also receive 'some help'.
It is also important for us to replace the destroyed orchards, where it will not be possible to harvest in the coming years, and for this purpose, within the programme 'Plant the Future', the gardens will be restored, the seedlings will be fully co-financed and the irrigation system will be also co-financed", said Davitashvili.
The wine harvest generally begins in September in Georgia’s winemaking regions of Kakheti, Imereti and Racha.
Heavy hail and wind hit the Kvareli, Telavi and Gurjaani municipalities in Georgia’s wine region of Kakheti yesterday damaging 4600 ha of vineyards. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated earlier today that the damage is being calculated, noting that ‘none of the victims will be left without the state’s care.’
The Georgian government will subsidise the 2021 grape harvest due to an excess grape yield this season and the post-pandemic situation in order to financially support farmers, announced Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili earlier today. Garibashvili stated that the price of one kilo of the Rkatsiteli wine variety will not be less than 90 tetri, noting that ‘companies will receive an additional 35 tetri from the state.’
232,000 tonnes of grapes have been processed in the Kakheti region as of October 2, but the process still continues until mid-October.
About 11,000 tonnes of grapes of various varieties have been processed in the Kakheti region, east Georgia, as of September 8.
The Georgian government will purchase grapes as a result of heavy hail and wind in the Georgian wine region of Kakheti, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated today.
In total 164,000 tonnes of grapes have been processed in the Georgian wine region of Kakheti as of September 22, announces the Georgian National Wine Agency. Out of the processed grapes, about 96,000 tonnes were of the Rkatsiteli variety, 60,000 tonnes were Saperavi, 3,300 tonnes were Kakhuri Mtsvane and the remaining were different grape varieties.
Heavy hail has damaged vineyards and houses in several municipalities of the Georgian wine region of Kakheti. Kakheti Governor Irakli Shioshvili promised that all the damaged houses would be repaired. The amount of damage has not been determined at this stage.
The Georgian government has allocated 14 million GEL in subsidies to assist in the harvesting of grapes damaged by heavy hail in the Georgian wine region of Kakheti on August 27 and September 2. The government is also subsidising the 2021 grape harvest to financially support farmers during the pandemic
Specific measures necessary for an “organised and successful” grape harvest in Georgia this season were discussed by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Government officials earlier today.