Georgia: The coordination headquarters for Harvest 2024 was opened in Telavi. This year, the grape harvest is forecasted to be approximately 300 thousand tons.
“For years, we have declared the vineyard winery a priority and have made significant investments for the development of this field.” We have concrete results, evident in the annual growth of vineyard areas and wine exports. According to data from 7 months, we also have a 20% increase this year. Last year, we had record exports; revenue-wise, this year, we expect vineyard revenues to be a record, around 350 million. One of the supporting conditions of this process is that the government has decided to subsidize the Rkatsiteli breed. All conditions are created so that the harvesting can be conducted as organized as possible, – said Minister of Environment and Agriculture Otar Shamugia.
The minister congratulated vinegrowers and winemakers on the beginning of the harvest and noted that it is essential that the process be organized and that the grapes are fully ripe.
At the meeting with representatives of wine production companies, Otar Shamugia focused attention on the quality of Georgian wine. Therefore, it is important for factories to import conditional, quality grapes. Quality grapes determine the quality of the wine and then its competitiveness, which, in the end, depends on the price and export indicators.
The opening of the headquarters, together with the Minister of Environment and Agriculture, Deputy Minister Yuri Nozadze, State Commissioner in Kakheti Region Giorgi Aladashvili, Majority Deputies of the region Gela Samkharauli and Irakli Kadagishvili, Chairman of the National Wine Agency Levan Mekhuzla, representatives of the local government were present.
The Government of Georgia is implementing crop subsidies this year as well to promote the realization of smoked grapes by vineyard farmers and support the stable development of the winery field. These subsidies will enable more than 20,000 vineyards to realize their harvest and up to 500 companies involved in harvesting to buy and process grapes smoothly.
All companies will receive state subsidies. They will purchase and process at least 100 tons of Rkatsiteli grapes smoked in the Kakheti region during the harvest of 2024 and pay at least 1.00 Gel for 1 kg of grapes. In the Kakheti region, the subsidy to companies is 0.20 GEL for 1 kg of Rkatsiteli.
In the city of Telavi, the Harvest Coordination Headquarters and the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture hotline (1501) work 24 hours a day. The Harvest Coordination Headquarters is headed by Levan Mekhuzla, Chairman of the National Wine Agency.
