FEAST OR FAMINE

In the light of Russia’s devastating wildfires, the loss of wheat production and its temporary halt on exports, Georgia has had to re-think its wheat production strategies. Almost 60% of Georgia’s wheat is imported from Russia, with the remaining 35% from Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Georgia produces only 5% of its own wheat. In previous months, the Government of Georgia planned to increase wheat production from 5% to 30-35% by 2012. Now the situation is becoming more urgent as the cost of bread continues to rise. President Mikheil Saakashvili has assigned the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture to provide a government action plan on wheat market diversification within a week. President Saakashvili has now called for an end to wheat dependency on a single supplier and a single source, and an end to the reflection of bread prices on price fluctuations internationally. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author o...

One million tons of nuts are produced worldwide annually. Turkey is the number one worldwide producer of nuts, accounting for 80% of production. Georgia ranks fourth in the world. Most of Georgia's nut produce is exported to 26 countries including Iran, Italy, Syria, France, Turkey, Spain and Poland. Two new nut processing plants were opened in West Georgia, creating thousands of jobs, with exports planned to Egypt, Europe, America and Canada. The high demand for Georgian nuts, especially walnuts, has resulted in the nut sector making the list of Georgia's top ten export commodities over the last few years. In 2009, nut exports doubled 2008 figures, reaching 18,000 tons with a total value of $70,000. The Ministry of Agriculture says its a record figure over the last four years. In 2010, so far, the nut industry (growers and exporters) is experiencing a good year. The expected harvest is looking productive, with the value of nuts increasing.

Street selling has been banned in Tbilisi. In Tbilisi, there are currently 15,000 people selling their goods in markets and closed trading facilities and about 4,000 people selling their goods in the streets. In the streets, they sell cigarettes, clothes, shoes, honey, jewelry, and all sorts of paraphernalia. The mayor of Georgia has announced to the 4,000 street vendors that they must move to closed trading facilities. The existing market traders called for a ban on street vending because it was harming the business of legitimate market traders. The fear was that, if their markets continue to decline in profitibility, then they too would become street vendors. The Mayor's Office said, "What would the streets of Tbilisi look like if that reallly happens? This is the right way, as they will be able to maintain their jobs on one hand and the environment will be clean and the sanitary situation improved on the other hand." The process of moving street vendors...

Across the River Mt'k'vari (Kura) that runs through the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, is the new architecture of the Bridge of Peace. The pedestrian Peace Bridge, built by Italian architect Michele De Lucchi and French lighting director Philippe Martinaud is composed of glass and iron connecting Old Tbilisi with the new district. It has a 150m canopy roof of steel and glass. Officially opened on 6th May 2010, the bridge was ordered by the city hall of Tbilisi in an effort to create a contemporary design feature to put the capital on the global architectural map. The bridge provides a unique view of the Metekhi Church and Narikala Fortress to one side, and Baratashvili Bridge and the President's Residence to the other. More than a simple river crossing, the Bridge of Peace possesses an interactive light display system. There were 30,000 LEDs and 240 sensors installed within the structure and they convey specific messages, scrolled across the two parapets of the...

For the first six months of 2010, there were 782,932 visitors to Georgia, which is an increase of 36.4% in comparison with the same period in 2009. Most of the visitors were from Europe - 96.2% of all visitors, which is an increase of 35.9% for January to June last year. The remaining proportion of visitors comprised 2.2% Asian (which is 60.6% more than last year), 1.2% American (27.5% more than last year), 0.2% Africa (208.3% more than last year), and 0.2% from the rest of the world (59.9% up from last year). Of the 96.2% of visitors from Europe, 60.6% were from countries of the former Soviet Union in the first six months of 2010 (37% more than last year) - predominantly from Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development and the Department of Tourism and Resorts announced that their objective for the tourism industry is to "make Georgia one of the leading countries on the world tourism market." The increase in visit...