Fifteen fruit processing enterprises participating in a state support program accepted more than 40,000 tons of substandard apples, generating over GEL 12 million in income for farmers, while state subsidies exceeded GEL 4 million, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.
Under the program, processing companies in Shida Kartli, Kakheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, and Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti purchased substandard apples at a minimum price of 27 tetri per kilogram by December 15, 2025. The Rural Development Agency provided a subsidy of 10 tetri per kilogram to participating enterprises.
The state program, “Supporting the Sale of Substandard Apples,” was launched in September 2025 to assist farmers during the harvest period and ensure the organized collection and processing of apples. A coordination headquarters was established by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture to oversee implementation.
Summarizing the results at a meeting in Gori, Rural Development Agency Director Zurab Gozalishvili noted that the economic benefits were felt across both farming and processing sectors, adding that apple concentrate produced under the program is mainly exported to Germany.
