The Georgian government has approved compensation for grape growers who delivered their harvest at lower prices before new tariffs took effect. The decision came after protests by farmers in Kvareli over grape prices and follows the government’s September 22 changes to grape purchase tariffs and rules.
Under the new decree, the Harvest Management Company will compensate individual grape growers in Kakheti who delivered grapes before the changes at prices below the newly established tariffs. Payments will be based on data from the electronic grape harvest database and the Unified Vineyard Cadastre, covering the difference between the price paid at delivery and the new tariff.
Under the revised tariffs, the price for Rkatsiteli with sugar content of 16–19% is GEL 0.90 per kilogram, while Saperavi with 16–20% sugar content is priced at GEL 1 per kilogram. As an exception, grapes with sugar content below 16% are priced at GEL 0.50, while hybrid grapes are set at GEL 0.30 per kilogram. Under the previous rules, grapes with sugar content up to 17% were purchased for GEL 0.30 per kilogram.
The government introduced differentiated grape prices for the 2026 harvest based on sugar content, following a record GEL 246 million spent on the purchase of 145,700 tons of grapes in 2025. The quality threshold for the highest tariff was subsequently lowered from 22% sugar content to 21% in August and then to 20% in September, amid farmers’ protests over the initial pricing system.
