Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture received detailed information about the ongoing apple harvesting and storage process during a working meeting at the Coordinating Headquarters in Gori.

“To promote the growth of agricultural production, the state consistently implements targeted programs and initiatives. We have recently launched a state program to support the efficient storage of apple harvest, enabling farmers to store their crops and generate additional income. Moreover, we have established a Coordinating Headquarters to ensure organized coordination of the process”, - said David Songulashvili.

The representatives of fruit processing enterprises participating in the state program attended the working meeting. Entrepreneurs have expressed satisfaction with both the support provided for the sale of non-standard apples and the effective functioning of the Coordinating Headquarters. One of the challenges this year is the labor shortage, which has slowed down the apple-picking process.

Notably, to support the sale and production of apples, the state launched the “Industrial Apple Sale Promotion Program” on September 9. Within the program, fruit processing companies are eligible for subsidies if they purchase non-standard apples at a price not less than 27 tetri per kg before December 15, 2025. The Rural Development Agency will provide a subsidy of 10 tetri per kg for non-standard apples.

Employees of the Ministry and the Rural Development Agency are actively involved in the operations of the Coordinating Headquarters to support the implementation of the non-standard apple sales program. As of October 7, 14 fruit processing enterprises participating in the program have purchased up to 8,000 tonnes of non-standard apples, generating over GEL 2 million in income for farmers.