Farmers receive $6,6 mln after selling 73,000 tonnes of apples via state programme

Fruit processing enterprises involved in the Georgian state programme enabling farmers to submit their produce accepted over 73,000 tonnes of apples during the last harvest season, with producers making over $6,6 million in delivering their products, Georgia’s Rural Development Agency said on Friday.

The body said the state subsidy promoting production of non-standard apples by farmers, launched in September, had exceeded ₾10 million ($3,7 mln) as part of the harvest.

Within the programme, subsidy for each kilogram of non-standard apples was set at ₾0,10 ($0.03), with processing enterprises that bought each kilo from farmers for at least ₾0,24 ($0.08) qualifying for the subsidy.

Original forecasts had expected between 130-135 thousand tonnes during the harvest season across the country, the agency added.

It also noted 15 processing enterprises had participated in the programme in different regions of Georgia.