Solomon Pavliashvili, Deputy Minister of Environment and Agriculture, jointly with Zurab Nasaraia, Guria State Representative, visited blueberry plantation of LLC Blueberry in Naruja, Ozurgeti Municipality.
The plantation was planted on 16 ha with the financial support of the state. The company "Blueberry” is a beneficiary of the project of the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture - "Plant the Future". The company was involved in state projects in 2016. The LLC received funding of 100 thousand GEL for cultivation of the garden and the arrangement of irrigation systems, including 96,600 GEL for seedlings imported from France and 3380 GEL for drip systems. This year, the forecasted harvest is about 80 t. Up to 150 locals are employed during the blueberry-picking season.
"State projects are an important support for reviving the field of berry crops. Today, the price of blueberries is 13-15 GEL, which is a very high source of income for producers; It is also an important incentive to expand gardens and make more profit. Demand for berry crops is growing both in the domestic market and for export. Berry crops will be a business card of Guria in the next three years”, Solomon Pavliashvili said.