Gov't to co-finance marketing campaigns of Georgian wine companies abroad to boost exports

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.

Georgian Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili announced that the government had approved the new state programme to promote Georgian wine abroad at today's meeting.

The programme will be implemented by the National Wine Agency and its budget will be 3 million GEL (about $0.96m/€0.81m).

Our goal is to increase sales in export markets in new geographies. We want to slow down and reduce our dependence on existing traditional markets... The marketing budget for one company per year was set at 600,000 GEL, however this is an initial, pilot version and if we see that the programme is being implemented successfully, the state may allocate additional funds”, Davitashvili said.

341 companies exported wine to 53 countries in 2019, while in 2020 about 371 companies exported wine to 60 countries. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.

He added that in order for wine companies not to replace marketing activities at the expense of the budget of the new programme, one of the criteria is that they should increase marketing activities and budgets, which will be confirmed by the audit.

Davitashvili said that 341 companies exported wine to 53 countries in 2019, while in 2020 about 371 companies exported wine to 60 countries.