Georgian gov’t will purchase grapes damaged by heavy hail in Kakheti wine region
The wine harvest in Georgia begins in September in the winemaking regions of Kakheti, Imereti and Racha. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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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.
The state will pay 80 tetri for 1 kg of white grapes and 1 GEL for red - Saperavi (grape variety),” said Garibashvili.
In addition, the government will pay 3,000 GEL per ha of vineyard to a farmer whose grapes have been completely destroyed.
Heavy hail and wind hit the Kvareli, Telavi, Gurjaani and Lagodekhi municipalities in Kakheti on August 26 damaging 4600 ha of vineyards.
In about 15 villages of Kakheti nearly 80-100 per cent of the vineyards have been destroyed.
The state at its own expense will help our people, to make this process as easy as possible,” Garibashvili stated.
The grape harvest has already started in Kakheti and farmers are picking hail-damaged grapes in the towns of Kakheti.
The wine harvest in Georgia begins in September in the winemaking regions of Kakheti, Imereti and Racha.
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.
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.
In order to increase the export, sale, competitiveness and awareness of Georgian wine abroad the government of Georgia has decided to co-finance marketing campaigns of wine companies in export markets except for CIS countries.
Georgia exported 65 million bottles of wine to 59 countries in January-August 2021, which is an increase of 19% compared to the same period of 2020, says the Georgian National Wine Agency. By selling wine abroad Georgia generated $145 million. Revenues increased by 13% year-on-year. Meanwhile, Georgia exported 22 million bottles of Georgian brandy (+21%) and 570,000 bottles of chacha (+115%) abroad in the first eight months of 2021.
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.
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.