“It is often harder for Georgian products to enter the domestic market than international markets,” Jolie founder Guram Sukhashvili told BMG, commenting on the government’s planned legislation against unfair trading practices. Jolie, which produces natural tkemali, jams, sauces and adjika, mainly exports to the US but has struggled to secure access to Georgian supermarket chains.
According to Sukhashvili, entry fees and shelf charges are among the biggest obstacles, with some retailers reportedly asking producers to pay up to GEL 30,000 to place a single product. He hopes the new legislation will regulate such fees and create fairer conditions for small businesses.
Delayed payments are another major concern. Sukhashvili said retailers may take three to four months to pay for products already sold, creating serious cash-flow problems for small producers and forcing some to take on additional debt. He also criticized requirements to supply products to all branches of a chain at once, saying smaller businesses should be allowed to start with a limited number of stores.
The government plans to introduce legislation banning unfair trading practices in the food supply chain. The initiative aims to address the imbalance in bargaining power between retailers and suppliers, including delayed payments, late order cancellations and retailers shifting shelf and marketing costs onto producers.
