According to the Minister, Georgia has the potential to become a distinguished supplier of high-quality honey to international markets. Several state programs are being implemented to support honey production. Notably, the State Agricultural Laboratory has already adopted methodologies for testing honey across various parameters.

With government support, Georgian entrepreneurs actively participate in the world’s leading agricultural exhibitions, contributing to the promotion of Georgian honey on the global stage. By strengthening every link in the value chain, the state has created all the necessary conditions to increase domestic honey production.

During his visit, Minister Songulashvili also toured the apiary of local farmer Tamaz Glonti in the village of Akhati, where he got familiar with the ongoing operations.

Farmer Glonti, a beneficiary of the Rural Development Agency, has repeatedly benefited from the “Preferential Agrocredit” program to establish and expand his apiary and small-scale honey processing enterprise. The farmer also presented the Minister with his own invention — a “Thermo Hive”, the production technology is protected by the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia (Sakpatenti).

Since 2013, under the “Preferential Agrocredit” project, more than GEL 70 million in agro-loans have been issued to support honey production nationwide, with over GEL 17 million co-financed by the Rural Development Agency. In the Guria region alone, agro-loans exceeding GEL 1.7 million have been issued, with the Agency’s co-financing amounting to approximately GEL 400,000.

Minister Songulashvili was accompanied by Deputy Minister, Mr. Kakha Kakabadze, State Representative in Guria, Mr.  Giorgi Gurjumelidze, Deputy Head of the National Food Agency, Mr. Giorgi Iakobashvili, Acting Director of Rural Development, Mr. Giorgi Avaliani, and representatives of local self-governments.