Blueberry Becomes One of the Key Income Sources for Farmers in Western Georgia
“Alongside hazelnuts and citrus, blueberries have become one of the main sources of income for farmers in Western Georgia,” said Davit Songulashvili, Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, during his visit to the village of Vartsikhe in Baghdati Municipality, where he observed the harvesting and processing of blueberries at the company Agroline.
Minister Songulashvili also met with local farmers involved in blueberry production to discuss harvesting, storage, and sales processes.
“With the state's active support – which includes access to finance, knowledge, technology, and markets – blueberry orchards in Georgia now exceed 2,700 hectares. Alongside hazelnuts and citrus, blueberries have become a key source of income for our farmers and entrepreneurs in Western Georgia. Last year alone, Georgia exported over $28 million worth (5,000 tons) of blueberries, a 33% increase compared to 2023. This level of export is only possible through the production of high-quality, modern-standard products,” Songulashvili stated.
He noted that Agroline integrates all links of the blueberry value chain – from primary production to processing and export. This success, he said, is the result of state support and sound business management.
The modern Agroline facility in Vartsikhe was established with state financial assistance. The total investment exceeded GEL 3.5 million, including a grant of more than GEL 420,000 from the Rural Development Agency and about GEL 800,000 in concessional agrocredit. The enterprise employs 60 locals during the season and has an annual processing capacity of up to 300 tons of blueberries. The company sells its products both domestically and for export.
This year, Agroline will export blueberries to Israel for the first time, and plans to increase exports to India. Negotiations are also underway to begin exports to Japan. The company made initial contact with buyers at the international trade fair “Foodex Japan” in Tokyo, where it participated with support from the Rural Development Agency.
Currently, Agroline has 36 hectares of blueberry orchards with 17 different varieties and works actively with farmers across the Imereti region. The facility handles the rapid cooling, sorting, and packaging of harvests from more than 100 hectares of local plantations.
Nationwide, more than GEL 197 million in concessional agrocredits has been issued for primary blueberry production. The Rural Development Agency’s co-financing amounts to GEL 87 million.
Under the “Plant the Future” program, over 2,700 hectares of blueberry fields have been co-financed with GEL 39.8 million, including GEL 6.2 million for more than 900 hectares in the Imereti region.
Minister Songulashvili was joined on the visit by MP Zviad Shalamberidze, representative of Tkibuli, Terjola, Zestaponi, and Baghdati municipalities in Parliament; Imereti State Representative Levan Zalkaliani; and Giorgi Darchia, Director of the Rural Development Agency.
