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Minister Levan Davitashvili: “Honey export from Georgia has boosted up 3,4 times and apiculture industry has been progressing significantly”
Mr Levan Davitashvili, Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA) jointed the 3rd consecutive meeting of the Apiculture Development Council. The meeting was organized remotely and hosted attendees, who joined Minister Davitashvili in discussing the State-deployed programs and activities for enhancing apiculture in Georgia. Attendees embraced progress achieved in the respective industry, which has resulted from effective State policies and which has also been recognized by the European Union’s studies.“The respective format of cooperation between the Ministry and private sector is crucial, as the latter empowers us to join forces in scrutinizing all the challenges and seek for solutions, assess the steps undertaken and celebrate success. Frankly speaking, apiculture industry has harvested significant success, amidst the global pandemic. The vast majority of drawbacks in laboratory research matters has been addressed. In 2020, the Laboratory of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia has cultivated new researches and ensured accreditation. Nowadays, honey research to up to 120 parameters has already been deployed and the vast majority of these researches are accredited; 13 more researches will be accredited in the nearest future, thus, remaining 30 parameters will be completed through reference method. Empowering the laboratory has been especially important due to diminishing external barriers for enhancing the apiculture industry” – Minister Davitashvili stated.
Export of honey to the European Union has significantly increased. In 2020, 21, 7 tonnes of honey has been exported from Georgia, which has exceeded 2019 statistics in 15, 3 tonnes (3,4 times): European Union’s member countries (12, 9 tonnes), USA (4, 9 tonnes), Canada (1, 8 tonnes) and Qatar (1, 2 tonnes). In 2020, export to the European Union has increased 6, 7 times, compared to 2019.
The National Food Agency has successfully cooperated with the corresponding agencies in foreign countries to diversify Georgian honey export markets; the Agency has effectively handled agreement/recognition of relevant documentation and certificates required for export. Specific results have been harvested in cooperation with Persian Gulf countries, USA, Canada and Japan.
In the course of the meeting, private sector has positively evaluated wide spectrum of studies adopted by the laboratory; a special emphasis has been made on the needs for deploying studies on honey milk and poisons, as well as dingle research that will boost export of the respective production. Meanwhile, it is vital to elaborate beekeeping guidelines, raising awareness among farmers, tackling falsification, increasing awareness on Georgian honey at international markets and seek new export markets.
The 3rd consecutive meeting of the Apiculture Development Council enjoyed presence of Deputy Ministers Giorgi Khanishvili, Otar Shamugia, as well as heads of the MEPA’s various agencies and representatives of the Georgia’s beekeepers’ associations/unions, private laboratories, NGOs and donor organizations.