Georgian honey is not to be exported until May 2023, - Aleko Papava, head of the Honey Producers Association, said. According to the Association, exports were hampered due to the exhaustion of honey supplies in Georgia.
“In the past years, we had the reserves, while this year these supplies are finished. In addition, the demand for honey in the local market has increased, as the quality of Georgian honey has also improved. One of the reasons is that the EU is asking us for acacia honey, while in Georgia the acacia forests are reduced,” - said Aleko Papava.
The head of the Honey Producers Association also notes that if one bee family produces 10-15 kg of honey in Georgia, resources allow for increasing the volume to 25-30 kg.
“Currently, Georgia produces 2500-3000 tonnes of honey, we can increase the resources to 8000-10000 tonnes. If the income is now 2-3 million, it is possible to make this income 100 million, but we have to adhere to the standards, and increase the number of beehives. Producers need to improve and raise knowledge", - Papava explains.
In 2022, 258.1 tonnes of honey USD 1.1 million worth was exported from Georgia, while the target for 2023 is 500 tons. As for the beginning of the year, in January 2023 only 0.72 tons of honey were exported abroad, and in the same period of the previous year, it stood at 22.5 thousand tons.
