Georgian growers using tall tunnels switch from tomatoes and cucumbers to blueberries

Published May 17, 2023

Tridge summary

Georgia has experienced a significant increase in the import of cucumbers and tomatoes during the 2022-2023 off-season, with over 11,000 tons of cucumbers and 17,000 tons of tomatoes imported primarily from Turkey. This surge is attributed to both increased demand and issues with local high tunnel production. High tunnel farming has become more expensive due to increased costs for care and raw materials, driving some farmers out of business and resulting in higher thermal water costs for those who remain. Additionally, wind damage and shifts in farming preferences towards more profitable crops, such as blueberries, are impacting the production of tomatoes and cucumbers in the off-season.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

EastFruit analysts note unusually high import volumes of cucumbers and tomatoes in the 2022-2023 off-season. There are problems with local high tunnels, which are key local suppliers in the off-season along with greenhouses. Of course, increased demand also contributes to the growth of imports. Deliveries of open ground vegetables firmly dominate the Georgian market for only three months - from July to September. October is a kind of transition period, and then the market relies on the products of local greenhouses, high tunnels and imports from Turkey. Imports of cucumbers and tomatoes in the off-season, October-April amount, in tons Data source: Ministry of Finance of Georgia So far, the peak of imports of cucumbers and tomatoes falls on the current off-season. Since the beginning of October 2022, Georgia has imported over 11,000 tons of cucumbers and 17,000 tons of tomatoes. Almost all imports were from Turkey. Import volumes in October-April 2022-2023 higher by 44% for ...

Source: Eastfruit