Georgian citrus harvest not so sour
By M.Alkhazishvili
Wednesday, November 21
(Translated by Diana Dundua)
Georgia’s 2007 citrus harvest is expected to triple last year’s total and reach 100 000 tons, according to Minister of Agriculture Petre Tsiskarishvili.
Around 80 percent of the harvest is expected to come from Adjara province; the other 20 percent will come mostly from the provinces of Guria and Samegrelo.
In order to assist in the harvest, the government has set up an office in Batumi headed by Aleko Tsinstadze, deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food.
Tsiskarishvili said 40 percent of the harvest will be exported to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia, and a further 20–25 percent will go to the domestic market, according to the newspaper 24 Saati.
With citrus harvests in Turkey and Iran expected to be poor, analysts say the Georgian citrus industry stands to do well this year.
During a speech in Kakheti on November 17, President Mikheil Saakashvili said that Georgia has the chance to fill the Turkey’s niche in the international citrus market.
Georgia’s 2007 citrus harvest is expected to triple last year’s total and reach 100 000 tons, according to Minister of Agriculture Petre Tsiskarishvili.
Around 80 percent of the harvest is expected to come from Adjara province; the other 20 percent will come mostly from the provinces of Guria and Samegrelo.
In order to assist in the harvest, the government has set up an office in Batumi headed by Aleko Tsinstadze, deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food.
Tsiskarishvili said 40 percent of the harvest will be exported to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia, and a further 20–25 percent will go to the domestic market, according to the newspaper 24 Saati.
With citrus harvests in Turkey and Iran expected to be poor, analysts say the Georgian citrus industry stands to do well this year.
During a speech in Kakheti on November 17, President Mikheil Saakashvili said that Georgia has the chance to fill the Turkey’s niche in the international citrus market.