Georgia's export of peaches, nectarines down 24% in May-July

Georgia's export of peaches and nectarines fell by 5.4 thousand tonnes between May-July, marking a 24 percent reduction that also equalled a $1.3 million decrease in the export value, the Georgian Agriculture Ministry announced on Monday. 

The Ministry said the decline - representing a decrease of six percent in the export value compared to the same period of last year - was due to the late start of harvest by two weeks as a result of bad weather.

It also highlighted the harvesting of peaches and nectarines was in an “active phase,” noting more than 40 refrigerating farms were involved in the process for the storage and sale of the crop.

• Georgian domestic exports up 35.6% in January-June

A working group has been created under the Agriculture Ministry, working in the areas of information collection, systematisation, and connecting farmers and sellers of peach and nectarines, the state body said.

A total of 16.7 thousand tonnes of peaches and nectarines were exported from the country in the reported period, worth $18.6 million.