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David Songulashvili: “We Have Created an Incentive for Grape Growers to Produce the Highest-Quality Grapes Possible”
The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr David Songulashvili, spoke about the circumstances and preconditions surrounding the grape growers’ protest and the introduction of a quality-based grape pricing system.
“The protest was organized by various groups that called on people to gather and voice their concerns. However, grapes priced at 30 tetri per kilogram are unsuitable for wine production or distillation into spirits,” Mr David Songulashvili stated.
The Minister also emphasized the importance of assessing grapes following quality grades. According to Mr Songulashvili, vineyard management is labour-intensive; therefore, growers should receive fair compensation in line with the quality of their harvest.
Mr Songulashvili explained that the quality-based pricing system is designed to incentivize growers to improve grape quality and produce a higher-grade harvest.
“By introducing a system of price differentiation based on grape quality, we have created an incentive for growers to produce the highest-quality grapes possible. The price difference between medium- and premium-quality grapes is substantial enough to encourage growers to make every effort to achieve the highest possible quality,” Mr David Songulashvili stated.