Georgia will have record wheat harvest – minister

This year’s harvest is much better than last year, said Otar Shamugia

Wheat yield per hectare in 2024 will be a record, said Minister of Environment and Agriculture Otar Shamugia.

Wheat harvesting in Kakheti is in active phase. The 2024 wheat harvest, as the Grain and Flour Producers Association said earlier, could be up to 180 thousand tons, about 20% more compared to 2023.

“This year’s crop is much better than last year. In terms of yield per hectare in 2024 we will have a record figure of more than 3 tons, which we have not had in recent years and which is very good,” Shamugia said.

The Minister together with the Governor of Kakheti Giorgi Aladashvili and the Mayor of Dedoplistskaro municipality Nikoloz Janiashvili familiarized with the process of wheat harvesting and met with local farmers.

According to Shamugia, the agency helps farmers in several directions, including providing them with necessary equipment for grain harvesting.

“Up to 60 units of new combine harvesters have been brought into the country with the support of the state. Farmers had no problems in this direction. Farmers received the service on time,” Shamugia said.

In the process of harvesting, the state and private sector mobilize harvesting equipment, including 30 units of combines of “Agricultural Logistics and Services Company” LLC.

As of July 12, 2024, 419 soft loans amounting to over GEL 16 million have been issued to promote the cultivation of annual crops under the “Preferential Agro-Credit” project.

In addition, under the program of co-financing of harvesting agricultural machinery, 52 beneficiaries were financed the purchase of 53 combines. The state co-financing amounted to GEL 7.4 million.

In order to create and develop infrastructure for grain storage, 353 loans worth GEL 29.2 million were issued, including 313 loans worth GEL 19 million in Kakheti.

Georgia consumes about 800 thousand tons of flour during a year. Most of the wheat flour consumed (about 78%) comes from Russia, which is the largest supplier of grain.

In order to increase the competitiveness of Georgian wheat and promote its sale on the local market, the government decided to impose a tax of 20 tetri per kilogram on imports of more than 200 kilograms of wheat flour from June 12 to November 1, 2023.

In early October, the temporary duty was extended until March 1, 2024 and the tax was increased by 25%, i.e. the tax is set at GEL 250 per 1 kilogram of flour. The term of validity of the duty was extended once again in November – until September 1, 2024.

Market overview

Wheat is grown in different regions of Georgia, but the largest crops are in the so-called wine region of the country – Kakheti, in the districts of Signagi and Dedoplistskaro, and a little in Sagarejo. In Dedoplistskaro 55 thousand hectares of arable land, from here up to 80% is occupied by wheat and rye.

There are also wheat fields in Kvemo Kartli: in Bolnisi, Marneuli, Gardabani districts, there are crops in Tsalka, Bogdanovka, Akhalkalaki and Akhaltsikhe, but it is mountainous and the harvest matures later. There are small wheat fields in Shida Kartli region, namely in Gori and Kareli districts.

According to statistics, in 2023 wheat production in Georgia decreased by 6.5% and amounted to 146.6 thousand tons. During this period, the sown area of wheat amounted to 56.7 thousand hectares, and the average yield was 2.6 tons per hectare.

Tags: wheat, Georgia, crop forecast