Baku, Azerbaijan, August 9
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Due to the high-quality nut crop and the dynamics of the world market, an increase in hazelnut prices is expected in Georgia, said Merab Chitanava, Chairman of the Georgian Hazelnut Growers Association (GHGA), Trend reports citing bm.ge.
Currently, the price of hazelnuts in Georgia ranges from 4.50 lari to 5 lari.
According to the Chairman of the Association, the price of 1 kilogram of hazelnuts in 2018 ranged from 2 lari to 2.50 lari.
“We predict that this year the harvest will be about 45,000 tons of hazelnuts. This is about four times more compared to last year,” Chitanava said.
Last year's crop amounted to about 7,000 tons of hazelnuts, about 70 percent of which was destroyed by agricultural pests.
Merab Chitanava believes that the high quality of hazelnuts will have a positive effect on their export to the European market.
“Recently, we have gained a lot of knowledge and experience in the fight against pest. This will significantly help us in the future in order to carry out activities even more efficiently, which will become a prerequisite for a high-quality crop,” Chitanava said.