BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Within the framework of the state program “Plant the Future,” a blackberry plantation is being established on 22 hectares in Imereti (Western Georgia), Trend reports via the EastFruit portal.
As reported, novice growers are enthusiastic about developing this business despite problems in the production and sale of blackberries.
The owner’s plans are not limited to just primary production, but to process blackberries and exports to the European market in the future.
Consultants from the Plant the Future program were included in the process of planting. The areas for the plantation were studied in advance, an analysis of the local climate and soil was carried out, and access to water was checked. Only after this process was it decided to plant blackberries of the Chester variety. This variety has a high yield.
Under the Plant the Future program, government co-financing will cover 70% of the cost of blackberry seedlings and 50% of the irrigation system. On the 15 hectares, the share of state co-financing is 180,000 lari ($54,555) and the farmer himself invested 135,000 lari ($40,917).
According to EastFruit monitoring over the past year, the prices of blackberries last year at the first half of June reached 15 lari ($4.50), and in July prices fell to a minimum amounting to 2.5 lari ($0.76). At the end of the season in August, prices jumped to 6 lari ($1.82). The average price of blackberries for the season was 3.9 lari ($1.18).
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