BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14
Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Georgian 'Geofresh' company started production of asparagus on a land area of 13 ha in Sagarejo in 2016, Trend reports via Georgian media.
The investment volume amounts to 1 million lari ($292,650). 'Geofresh' also produces blueberries and employs over 50 locals during the harvesting period.
Assistant Director at 'Geofresh' Salome Kveliashvili said that the demand and price of asparagus has increased on both foreign and local markets.
"We are trying to increase the volume of the crop according to the demand. In 2020 we received a harvest of 12 tons of asparagus, this year we are already expecting a harvest of 25 tons. The demand is so great that we cannot fully satisfy the foreign market. We sell our goods to foreign partners for $6-7 per kilo, while to the Georgian market for 15-16 lari ($4.39-$4.68), which is $2-3 more compared to 2020,” said Kveliashvili.
"We export 70-80 percent of the asparagus in Russia, because it is the most convenient location in terms of transportation, as asparagus is sold in a raw form," she said.
Asparagus exports from Georgia were up by 93.3 percent in 2020 compared to 2019.
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