Bad potato harvest

2010 has been a difficult year for the agriculture of Georgia. The harvest of grains, fruits and vegetables have been poor and it now appears that there are problems with the potato harvest as well. Usually Georgia provides around 65% of the country’s demand for the potatoes. This year it will barely achieve 50% of the local consumption. The potato yield from the harvest in Armenia and Turkey has been poor as well.

New potatoes come to the market at the start of the summer for which the major supplier is Marneuli region. Later in the year, the Akhaltsikhe region potatoes fill the market in September. Starting from October, potatoes will come from Akhalkalaki which is actually the main supplier of potatoes for the country. The reasons for the low yields are the weather conditions, unusual heat as well as problems with the seeds.