Last week, the wholesale prices of potatoes in Georgia increased by 50% compared to the previous week. They have increased from 0.8 GEL/kg ($0.28) to 1.2 GEL/kg ($0.42).
Right now, regarding local production, the Kvemo Kartli region is the main supplier, although the volume decreases with the end of the season in the region. Besides, the demand for Georgian potatoes from Azerbaijan has increased. Usually, in the middle of September the Samtskhe-Javakheti region starts supplying the local market, but this year there is a bad harvest in this region.
According to growers from the Samtskhe-Javakheti, the two-month drought continues in the region. That has negatively affected the quantity and the quality of the harvest. Harvesting season has just started, and a few growers are already harvesting, although it is already clear that the harvest will be dramatically reduced, compared to expectations. If the norm, without irrigation, is a yield per hectare, on average, of 10-12 tons now, in the best case, growers will harvest 5 tons.
Source: east-fruit.com