BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 9
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
One of the most important tasks in the further development of the hazelnut production industry in Georgia is to increase the yield from the current 700-1000 kg to 2.5 tons per hectare, Georgian Deputy Minister of Environment and Agriculture Georgi Khanishvili said, Trend reports citing the analytical portal EastFruit.
According to him, the past year was very successful for Georgia in this area.
“Today, Georgian hazelnuts are sold on the world market in a high price segment. In 2019, we recorded growth in hazelnut exports. According to our forecasts, in two-three years in this sector, we will regain the leading positions in the world and become the second largest supplier of these products,” said the Minister.
As he noted, new program - "Development of intensive hazelnut orchards” - has been launched in this area.
Khanishvili stressed that Georgia has a full cycle of cultivation and processing of hazelnuts. He also touched on the topic of combating agricultural pest (marble bug), which for several years caused serious damage to a number of crops, including hazelnuts.
According to the deputy minister, hazelnuts for several years held leading positions in the structure of Georgian exports. However, due to the invasion of the marble bug, in 2017, hazelnut exports decreased by 54.1 percent compared to 2016, and in 2018 decreased by 30.5 percent compared to 2017.
Throughout this period, the state, together with the Georgian Hazelnut Producers Association, carried out large-scale agricultural pest control activities in the country and encouraged farmers to actively participate in this work. According to the Association and government agencies, these activities yielded tangible results.
According to preliminary data from the National Statistics Service of Georgia (Geostat), hazelnut exports in 2019 amounted to $63.34 million, which is 10.6 percent more than the previous year. At the end of 2019, hazelnuts ranked 10th in the top 10 of Georgian exports and 8th in the top 10 of local exports, excluding re-exports.
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