Page 54 - GEORptAug22

Georgian hazelnut exports up 28% in six months
Georgian wine exports hit nine-year high in 2021
Wrote horti daily: “The up-and-coming country supplier presents a great opportunity for UK buyers, importers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers to strengthen their sourcing of quality blueberries from around the world. “According to data provided by the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC), berries overall rank second among the top five fresh fruits imported into the UK; growing 7 percent in volume terms per annum between 2011 and 2020. Blueberries represent the second-biggest berry category in the UK currently, after strawberries.”
Georgia has exported 18,400 tonnes of hazelnuts between August 1, 2021, and January 23, 2022, a 28% increase compared to the same period of last year, the Georgian Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection announced.
The exports generated $84.5mn in revenue, an $8.3mn increase year-on-year. The export price of hazelnuts increased by 11% compared to the same period of last year.
The top destinations for Georgian hazelnuts were Italy (7,621 tonnes), Germany (3,533 tonnes), Spain (522 tonnes) and Czechia (467 tonnes). Despite the growth in aggregate numbers, Georgia has faced other problems with its hazelnut exports in recent months. In October, it was reported that Georgia’s hazelnut exports for that month were up 9% y/y, but that quality issues had led to a high number of shipments being rejected at EU borders. This occurred 19 times in only three months (from August 1 to October 31) as a result of quality issues – a sharp increase from eight total rejections in the 2020 hazelnut season (from August 2020 to July 2021).
Georgia’s wine exports in 2021 marked a nine-year high for the country, according to reports citing new statistics.
Georgia exported about 107mn bottles of wine to 62 countries in 2021, the government revealed on January 17.
Sales of Georgian wine abroad generated $250mn last year, with a total of 441 companies exporting the product to various countries.
The figure contrasts with as few as 100 companies selling wine abroad in 2012.
“Wine exports have increased by 360% compared to 2012. Georgia generated $250mn in 2021, while the revenue from wine exports was $71mn in 2012,” Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili said at a governmental meeting.
Total export sales of alcoholic beverages reached $400mn in 2021, with the overall figure showing an 18% increase compared to 2020 and 142% more compared to the $163mn total in 2012.
In November, Georgia’s National Wine Agency reported that wine exports in the first 10 months of 2021 grew by 9% y/y.
9.1.10 TMT sector news
At Davos Georgian PM invites US tech company Ripple to set up service centre
At a meeting, Garibashvili promoted what he said were the favourable market conditions in Georgia for the development of digital assets and highlighted the country's "favourable investment environment and strategic location", the Georgian government said.
Georgia boasts young, experienced and competitive human capital, according to Garibashvili, and is evolving into a global and regional multifunctional hub for financial services as well as technical and innovative industries.
At the meeting, Garibashvili also noted his government has devised a draft legal framework for the regulation of virtual assets. The bill will be discussed
54 GEORGIA Country Report August 2022 www.intellinews.com