East Fruit: Georgia Beats Blueberry Exports Record in 2020

The Russian Analytical Platform East Fruit.ge that analyzes fruit and vegetable markets of Eastern Europe has published a vast article on the export potential of Georgian blueberry.

According to the article, “Georgia may become one of the top 25 blueberry exporter countries soon if this country maintains the current paces of blueberry production”. According to preliminary indicators of EastFruit analysts, based on the 2020 results, Georgia’s export potential is 630 tons and this is a new record indicator in terms of exports.

The 2019 record was 185 tons. “Therefore, the blueberry exports in Georgia have grown 3.4 times for a year”, the EastFruit analysts noted. “The growing demand for this berry culture has ensured an extreme growth in blueberry exports to Russia from Georgia, despite economic difficulties and declining solvency of Russian citizens. Georgia’s exports could not be increased without blueberry production growth.

This country permanently expands the space of bilberry plantations and therefore, the supply also grows”, Andrey Yarmak, economist for the FAO Investment Department noted. At the same time, Georgia’s blueberry exports declined to United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia. Therefore, Russia’s portion of Georgia’s exports marked 99%.

“Dependence on one export market always comprises high risks. Therefore, Georgia should diversify exports markets, even more so, Georgian blueberry ripens when the Russian market’s supply is finished from Spain and the process is not started from Ukraine, Romania, and Poland”, the article reads. Georgia is capable of transporting blueberry to EU countries too, but the blueberry prices are expected to rise in Russia and exceed the prices in EU countries”, Andrey Yarmak noted.