According to EastFruit analysts, there are currently more than 1.000 hectares of commercial blueberry plantations in Georgia, which continue to expand thanks to state subsidies and the high profitability of the crop.

“According to our estimates, in 2020 around 750 tonnes of blueberries were harvested in Georgia, of which 89% or 665 tonnes were exported fresh. The rest was either consumed in the country or processed, ”says Andriy Yarmak, an economist at the Investment Center of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Therefore, the average yield of existing blueberry plantations in Georgia is less than 1 ton per hectare, but it should be noted that most plantations are not yet bearing fruit as blueberries usually reach their maximum fruiting, with proper care, in the fifth year. after planting. EastFruit experts estimate that 200 to 300 hectares of blueberries are planted in Georgia each year. This is a very high business expansion rate if one considers that Peru, the current world market leader, had up to 2.000 hectares of blueberries planted per year in peak years and up to 1.000 hectares in Ukraine.

Barring severe weather anomalies in 2021, Georgia will be able to double the blueberry harvest by 1.300-1.500 tonnes. This means that by 2021, Georgia may become one of the 25 largest exporters of blueberries in the world and come close to the export volumes of Serbia and Ukraine. However, these countries are also likely to increase their blueberry export volumes.

“Given the low capacity of the local market, which is around 50 tons, to maintain the income level of the producers it will be necessary to export the rest of the blueberry harvest. This means that next year Georgia's blueberry export potential will exceed 1.200 tonnes, which will make this country quite a major player in the world market. Furthermore, Georgia has an excellent export niche because Georgian blueberries are available at the end of May, just after the season for mass deliveries of blueberries from Spain ends and before the harvest begins in Ukraine and Poland, ”explains Andriy Yarmak. .

EastFruit estimates show that the total three-year Georgia blueberry harvest may exceed 4.000 tonnes, even if possible losses from imperfect technologies are taken into account. If the probable further expansion of the blueberry area is taken into account, then production and exports may exceed 5,000 tons in 2023. Since the average consumption of blueberries in the country is not yet high, the domestic market may double during this time, but will not have a significant impact on the Georgia blueberry business because it will not exceed 2-4% of total production.

“Given the prospects for rapid growth in blueberry production in the country, next year growers may face a shortage of capacity to cool, sort and process blueberries. Furthermore, the average size of a blueberry farm in Georgia is very small, so cooperation between farmers is now an absolute necessity. After all, it is necessary to put together a shipment for export, which is at least 10 tons in just two days, ”explains the FAO economist.

It also draws attention to the need to diversify blueberry exports given Georgia's difficult history of relations with Russia. “If for some reason access to the Russian market is lost, Georgia will face the difficult problem of finding an alternative sales market. At the same time, supplying blueberries to the EU from Georgia will be very expensive due to complex logistics, not to mention logistics to Middle Eastern countries. Even an increase in supply on the Russian market during the period when Georgia is harvesting blueberries will be fraught with difficulties, as it will most likely be necessary to reduce the price of berries to stimulate sales of Georgian blueberries on the Russian market " , He says. Andriy Yarmak.

In 2020, Georgia supplied a record 665 tons of blueberries to foreign markets and earned $ 3.8 million in export revenue. Hence, Georgia blueberry export earnings in the country's fruit and berry sector are exceeded only by earnings of hazelnuts, peaches, mandarins, and apples. It is also the most expensive horticultural export product along with hazelnuts.

About 95% of Georgian blueberries were exported to the Russian market. An export shipment of 12 tonnes of blueberries was sent to the EU country Poland. In 2020, 6 to 8 tons of Georgian blueberries were exported to Armenia, the United Arab Emirates and Ukraine.