Agriculture Minister: dependence on wine exports to Russia has dropped from 80% to 57%

Georgia’s previous 80 percent dependence on wine exports to the Russian market has dropped to 57 percent, Otar Shamugia, the Georgian Agriculture Minister, said on Monday. 

The Minister noted the Government had been implementing projects for diversification of the wine export market with the involvement of the country’s National Wine Agency, pointing out about ₾12 million ($3.9mln/€3.6mln) was spent for the purpose annually. 

He also said the Government was funding worldwide promotions, including wine tasting and exhibition events, and added a project seeking to fund marketing expenses for local entrepreneurs had been developed in 2021.

Shamugia called the Government's initiative an “additional offer” and “support” for the Georgian entrepreneurs to enter markets worldwide, saying the state would finance their expenses if they met the conditions of the project.

The importance of further collaboration with representatives of the wine industry was also noted in the Minister’s comments.

Last week, Shamugia said the number of countries where Georgian wine is exported had increased from 40 to 60 in recent years, adding the United States, Poland, Germany, China and the Baltic states had been “firmly established” among the top 10 of the list.