Over 28,000 tonnes of citrus worth $15.9mln exported during season, says Agriculture Minister

David Songulashvili, the Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Georgia, on Wednesday said over 28,000 tonnes of citrus worth $15.9 million had been exported to various markets during the ongoing season, while also expressing satisfaction with the process of storage of the product in the western Adjara region.

In Adjara, the process of storing citrus is actively and smoothly proceeding, which I learned on the spot [...] With coordinated work, the crop will be fully stored”, Songulashvili said after visiting the Kobuleti municipality to observe the ongoing efforts with Tornike Rizhvadze, the Chair of the Adjara Regional Government.

The Minister highlighted the regional Government's initiatives aimed at supporting farmers.

The Government of Adjara has implemented several programmes to support farmers, promoting both the production and processing of agricultural products. We visited a processing plant that had just opened. The operation of such enterprises is crucial for the region. We will continue to provide maximum support to farmers and entrepreneurs”, Songulashvili said.

The Ministry said the officials visited Iberia Orbis Citrus, a processing enterprise that currently employs around 200 people. The body added the facility was capable of receiving, sorting, and paraffinising 120 tonnes of citrus fruits daily, with plans to handle and export up to 1,000 tonnes of standard citrus this year, alongside non-standard tangerines.

The officials also inspected a non-standard citrus reception and processing facility operated by Georgian Industrial Asset Management Group.

To ensure smooth execution and sale during the citrus season, Adjara authorities have established a  coordination headquarters that will be operational until February 1, the Ministry said.

Over 20 enterprises receiving and sorting citrus in the region are equipped to handle export of tangerines, while two processing factories in Kobuleti municipality are dedicated to managing non-standard fruits, the body added.

This year, in response to local agricultural needs, the Adjara Government has increased the state subsidy for industrial processing of non-standard mandarins to 35 tetri per kilogram, a 10-tetri increase compared to last year. Consequently, the price for tangerines selected for processing is now set at 40 tetri, of which farmers receive five tetri, the Ministry said.

The body also said 5,400 tonnes of non-standard fruits had been processed in the region, with a subsidy of ₾1.9 million ($680mln) granted to support the efforts.