David Songulashvili Visits Labara Winery in Baghdati Municipality

As part of his working visit to the Imereti region, Georgia's Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, David Songulashvili, visited Labara Winery, located in the village of Vartsikhe in Baghdati Municipality, where he learned about the winery's operations and ongoing production activities.

"We are implementing an important reform to support the development of Georgia's wine sector and promote the production of high-quality Georgian wine. Our goal is for Georgian wine to be synonymous with exceptional quality. At the same time, I would like to emphasize that small and medium-sized wineries represent a vital segment of the industry. We provide targeted support to help them produce high-quality wines, develop wine tourism, and expand into new export markets. These efforts are an integral part of ensuring the sustainable development of Georgia's winemaking sector," said David Songulashvili.

Labara LLC is a wine-producing company based in Baghdati Municipality with an annual production capacity of 15,000 bottles. The winery employs 30 people, and its products are sold both on the domestic market and exported to Europe, Asia, and the United States.

The company is a beneficiary of the Rural Development Agency and has made use of the government's Preferential Agrocredit Programme on several occasions to support the establishment and expansion of its business.

To support wine production in the Imereti region, commercial banks have issued GEL 7.4 million in preferential agricultural loans under the Preferential Agrocredit Programme, while the Rural Development Agency has provided GEL 2.2 million in co-financing.

Joining the Minister during the visit were Lasha Avaliani and Giorgi Tskrialashvili, Deputy Ministers of Environmental Protection and Agriculture; Giorgi Iakobashvili, Head of the National Food Agency; Zurab Gozalishvili, Director of the Rural Development Agency; and representatives of the local authorities.