A decline in agri-food prices is unlikely in the near future, according to Rati Kochlamazashvili, Deputy Chairman of the Georgian Farmers' Association. Speaking to BMG, he said food prices continue to face upward pressure due to both domestic and global factors.
Kochlamazashvili noted that Georgia remains highly dependent on imports, both for food products and agricultural inputs, making the country particularly vulnerable to global market volatility. Rising fuel prices, labor costs, agricultural inputs, and services have all increased production costs, leaving little room for lower food prices.
While prices for some individual products may decline, he said the overall trend remains upward. "Given the current environment, we do not see any tendency for food prices to decrease in the near future. Pressure on the sector continues to grow," he said.
He also pointed to higher wages, increased utility costs for water and electricity, and challenging weather conditions this year, all of which have raised farmers' production costs. According to Kochlamazashvili, farmers will either have to increase prices to maintain profitability or absorb the higher costs by reducing their margins.
