BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Georgia has exported about 700 tonnes of blueberries this year, said Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili, Trend reports referring to the ministry.
Davitashvili made the remark during his visit to a new blueberry plantation in the village of Nosiri, Senaki municipality on July 20.
State Representative of Samegrelo-Zemo-Svaneti Region Alexander Motserelia and Director of the Agricultural and Rural Development Agency Ilia Tamarashvili accompanied the minister, said the report.
With the state financial support, Interagro Ltd planted a blueberry garden on 10 hectares in the village Nosiri. Under the Plant the Future program, the company received state funding of 230,000 lari ($75,282) for planting a garden and arranging an irrigation system.
Interagro is also a beneficiary of the preferential agro-credit. Under the program, the company received an agro-credit of 500,000 lari ($163,658) for planting the garden and in addition, invested 200,000 lari ($65,463) from its funds to the project.
"At present, the blueberry is planted on more than 700 hectares in Georgia. This year, about 700 tons of blueberries have been exported from the country,” Davitashvili said.
He noted that the blueberry crop wasn’t exported from Georgia a few years ago.
"If farmers maintain their interest, we expect to export produce worth tens of millions of dollars in the future. Our farmers are gaining experience in the production of blueberries. The state is also intensively engaged in this process", the minister said.
According to him, the Plant the Future program provides significant grant assistance and co-financing, which is a motivation for investors.
"The favorable climatic conditions in Georgia allow us to export at a time when there is more demand and less competition in the market. Therefore, our country should use this competitive advantage. Blueberries will be one of the most important income-generating crops for Georgia,” Davitashvili said.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356