Coordination Headquarters of Vintage 2022 Opened in Telavi
From August 24 of this year, the vintage coordination HQ will work 24/7 in Telavi. The HQ will coordinate the organization of the vintage, accounting, and traceability of the grapes to be delivered.
Registration of grapes will be implemented in the unified electronic system. The system was introduced by the Ministry of Environmental protection and Agriculture in 2013 and has been functioning effectively since then.
The opening of the HQ was attended by the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Otar Shamugia, representatives of the National Wine Agency, legislative and local authorities, and wine-producing companies.
"One of the main priorities of our government is the development of the field of viticulture and winemaking. Over the years, we have been implementing a consistent policy and we have seen the results of success. Production and export are growing and we need to maintain this dynamic. This year we expect up to 300 thousand tons of industrial processing of grapes. The state has created all the prerequisites for the vintage to be successful and the harvest to be fully delivered. In order to maintain the positive dynamics of the development of the industry, the government has made a decision to subsidize the vintage," Otar Shamugia said.
Chairman of the National Wine Agency, Levan Mekhuzla, spoke about the organizational and technical issues of the vintage. According to the governmental decision, the subsidy will be received by the wine company which, during the 2022 harvest, will purchase and process at least 100 tons of Rkatsiteli or Kakhuri Mtsvane grapes grown in the Kakheti region, and will pay the buyer at least 0.90 GEL for each kg of grapes purchased.
Wine companies receive a subsidy for 1 kg of Rkatsiteli and Kakhuri Mtsvani - 0.35 GEL. This year, about 300 wine cellars will be involved in harvesting.
During the meeting, Otar Shamugia also spoke about the importance of wine quality and noted that conditioned, quality grapes should be delivered to the factories. Quality grapes determine the quality of wine and subsequently its competitiveness, which ultimately affects the price and export figures.
The minister focused on the promotion campaign of Georgian wine and noted that more resources will be spent in the coming years in order to get better results in terms of sales. According to Leri Barnabishvili, Head of the Department of Relations with the Regions of the Government of Georgia, the government allocated 150 million GEL to subsidize the 2022 vintage.
Otar Shamugia also met with winegrower farmers and visited several wine factories in Kakheti.
In the village of Ruispiri, Telavi Municipality, the viticulturist Durmishkhan Beruashvili has cultivated Saferavi, Kisi and Khivi on 1.5 hectares. The farmer is going to deliver part of the harvest to the wine factory and to make wine from the rest himself. According to his statement, without the subsidy, the price of the grapes would not cover the costs. The grower has been using the insurance package for years and advises other growers to insure their harvest. According to the local winegrowers, they are expecting a particularly good harvest this year and will start harvesting as soon as the grapes are in the required condition.
Any interested person can get any information related to the harvest at the hotline 15-01 of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.