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„The grape harvest is running smoothly. The state has made it possible for grape growers to deliver the crops and get paid“ – Levan Davitashvili
The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Levan Davitashvili held a meeting with the Grape Vintage Coordination Center members in Telavi and familiarized himself with the grape harvest's organizational issues.In Kakheti, The grape harvest is running smoothly. We are nearing the peak, which means that grapes' daily processing will be more than ten thousand tons. We consider that by the end of September, the major part of Kakheti's crops will be delivered. Coordination Center is fully mobilized. Processing such an amount of grapes per day means receiving several thousand loaded trucks. This is a relatively large-scale process that needs precise coordination and control. We don't have severe delays. All grape growers can deliver grapes within 12 hours; Years ago, they had to stand in lines for two or three days.
It should be noted that, amid the pandemic, the Georgian government's anti-crisis plan has responded to the winery sector's challenges. We are able to say with confidence that all the conditions have been met for grape growers to deliver their crops.- stated Levan Davitashvili.
The Acting State Attorney-Governor in the Kakheti Region Irakli Kadagishvili also attended the meeting. As Irakli Shiolashvili noted, members of the coordination center manage traffic flow of grape loaded Lorries to ensure that grape growers do not face problems in delivering their grapes and the grape harvest is conducted in an organized manner.
According the data 21st of September, the volume of industrially processed grapes reached approximately 120,000 tons in Kakheti. So far more than 60 companies are involved in the harvest process.
This year, due to the economic situation created by pandemic, Rkatsiteli and Kakhetian Mtsvane grapes are subsidized by the state to support the viticulture and winery sector. The subsidy will be given to all companies that buy and process at least 1000 tons of Rkatsiteli or Kakhetian Mtsvane grapes grown in the Kakheti region and pay a grape grower least 0.80 GEL per 1 kg of grapes. In this case, wine companies will receive a 0.30 GEL subsidy for both 1 kg of Rkatsiteli and 1 kg of Kakhetian Mtsvane.