Georgian Agriculture Minister receives grape harvesting update: 30,000 tonnes processed so far

Otar Shamugia, the Georgian Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, on Saturday received an update on the progress of grape harvesting in the eastern winemaking region of Kakheti where about 30,000 tonnes of grapes have been processed as of September 6.

The processed product includes about 15,000 tonnes of the Rkatsiteli variety and 10,000 tonnes of Saperavi.

The Minister met with representatives from wine-producing companies at the grape harvesting coordination centre in Telavi. The meeting noted the local government and wineries were fully mobilised to ensure the “smooth progress” of the harvest.

The forecast for this year's grape harvest stands at “record-high” 300,000 tonnes. 

• “Record-high” 300,000 tonnes of “high-quality” grape to be harvested this season, Georgian Wine Agency says

In a bid to bolster the sale of grape harvest by winegrowers, the Government has announced harvest subsidies. The initiative is expected to benefit over 20,000 winegrowers looking to sell their harvest, while also enabling 500 companies involved in the harvest to acquire and process grapes “seamlessly”.

• Georgian PM says Gov’t to subsidise grape harvest, projects 300,000 tonnes to be harvested

Companies purchasing and processing at least 100 tonnes of Rkatsiteli grapes during the harvest will receive the state subsidy and pay ₾1 to the growers per kilogram of grapes.