Georgian Agriculture Minister says over 26 tonnes of tangerines exported

Otar Shamugia, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, on Wednesday said the country had exported more than 26 tonnes of tangerines, calling the number a “significant increase” compared to figures from the previous year.

The Ministry said Shamugia, Tornike Rijvadze, the Chairman of the regional Adjara Government and Zaza Shavadze, the Agriculture Minister of the western region, inspected facilities “actively” receiving batches of non-standard citrus from farmers in Kobuleti Municipality. 

Photo: Ministry of Agriculture

Shamugia said citrus was “one of the most important” income sources for farmers in western regions of Adjara and Guria, and noted the Government was assisting them in selling their goods “to the greatest extent possible”.

He noted the export price was higher this year, with the regional Government carrying out subsidies and supporting the processing of the products, and said the season would be “very successful” for farmers.

Rijvadze said local farmers received ₾0.30 ($0.11) for 1 kg of non-standard tangerines after the subsidy was increased by ₾0.10 ($0.037) and compounded by ₾0.05 ($0.019) added by factories.

A record amount of citrus has already been exported. "With joint efforts, we should be able to ensure that not a single kilogram of tangerines remains unsold”, he added.

The Ministry said this year's citrus harvest was expected to hit 55,000 tonnes. A total of 26,600 tonnes of standard tangerines have already been exported and 4,533 tonnes of non-standard tangerines processed during this year’s harvest, in which over 20 citrus companies registered to receive and process the product.