The Georgian farmers started exporting blueberries last week. According to EastFruit, exporters are paying growers from $5 to $7 USD/kg, depending on the quality. Quality is measured by the size, softness, and appearance of berries. Usually, exporters visit the field to check the quality themselves. Frequently, blueberries are sold directly from the fields without precooling and storing the harvest by the farmers.
EastFruit cites official trade data, according to which, in 2021, the average export price of the Georgian blueberry in June was $6.3 US dollars but dropped to $5 US dollars in July. Growers expect the same scenario this season. In July, prices will be much lower as supply will reach its peak.
Most of the harvest is sold to exporters to Russia, although some of the growers plan to export to Middle East countries, including UAE and Qatar, by air and even by land.
In a conversation with EastFruit co-founder of Blue Bird, Baia Salukvadze commented that they already have supply agreements with the buyers from UAE but have not started buying blueberries yet, as prices are high now.
Another grower and exporter Green Valley expect to harvest 60 tonnes of blueberries this season. Except for the russian market, the company plans to export to UAE by land. The spokesman of the company Zura Tsereteli said, that shipping blueberries from Georgia to UAE will take 8-10 days.
This season price of labor has increased for growers. Usually, pickers are paid per kilogram of collected berries. Last season harvesting one kg of blueberries cost growers 0.65-1.1 GEL ($0.2-$0.35) , but this season’s minimum price is 1 GEL ($0.34). According to growers, finding people to harvest berries is problematic and the problem will become even more severe during the season considering that number of new blueberry orchards are growing in Georgia. According to the official data in 2021 government program “Plant the Future” financed the planting of 707 ha of blueberry orchards.
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