According to Merab Chitanava, head of the Nut Producers Association This year, Georgia is likely to harvest 50,000 tons of hazelnuts. He attributed this optimistic forecast to the government's support program for nut production, which farmers used in 2023 and will continue to benefit from in 2024.
"The program's budget is $7,462,680 and includes subsidies for the cost of agrochemicals and pesticides necessary for nut care and cultivation," Chitanava explained. "Farmers owning or effectively owning nut orchards of up to 3 hectares will receive $186,567 per hectare from the government."
Despite these efforts, challenges persist in the industry, notably soil acidity. Chitanava also reflected on the previous year, citing unfavourable weather that led to a small and low-quality harvest. However, this was offset by increased nut prices, with local market rates currently ranging from $6.34 to $6.72 per kilogram compared to $4.48 at the beginning of the year. Internationally, nuts are fetching $8 per kilogram.
2023 Georgia earned $50 million from nut exports, although some of the previous year's harvest remains unsold. In recent years, frequent rains have led to a decline in hazelnut yields in Georgia, with 2022 witnessing a drop to 40,000 tons compared to 55,000 tons in 2021. However, 2023 saw a slight increase to 45,000 tons.
source: bizzone.info