Georgia’s hazelnut industry faces a serious threat despite an otherwise positive season, warns Merab Chitanava, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Hazelnut Producers Association. According to him, the spread of tortoise beetles and hazelnut blight has already destroyed around 10% of hazelnut orchards, and without urgent intervention, up to 30% could be lost next year.
“We’ve had a fairly good season overall, but the sudden withering of hazelnut bushes, a problem that appeared only a few years ago, has spread rapidly across Samegrelo and Guria regions,” Chitanava told BMG. “Around 10% of our sector is already infected with this bacteria, and fighting it is financially difficult. Farmers simply cannot afford the necessary treatment without support from the state or donor organizations.”
Preventing hazelnut blight is an expensive process, requiring four rounds of treatment and between 1,300 and 1,500 GEL worth of agrochemicals per hectare, roughly three times the cost of treating fungal or scab-related diseases.
“Our fear is that without timely assistance, next year 20–30% of orchards could wither,” Chitanava said. “We’ve submitted proposals and conducted research with the Ministry to identify the bacteria, but so far, no discussions have taken place. We are still waiting for communication, though we may need to explore other options ourselves.”
He emphasized that the hazelnut sector, one of Georgia’s key agricultural exports, risks severe decline unless coordinated action is taken soon.
