Rich fruit harvest spoiled by embargo: newspaper

The total Georgian fruit harvest was 227 500 tons, according to the newspaper Akhali Taoba.

That is a sharp rise over the 2006 figure of 153 300 tons, the newspaper writes citing the state statistics department, a possible burden on farmers who have few opportunities to unload their produce following the closure of the Russian market in a 2006 blanket trade embargo.

The government is seeing to the problem by promoting fruit treatment factories and the creation of a fruit preservations industry.