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.
Comments
Post a Comment