Georgian tomatoes market in Georgia

Many foreigners remark that Georgian tomatoes are very tasty with rich flavor and are organic as well. However, there is a dramatic tendency of decreasing production of Georgian tomatoes lately. For the last several years, the overall production of tomatoes has come down. In 2006, Georgia was producing around 70,000 tons, but in 2010, it produced only 53, 000 tons. The import of tomatoes meanwhile has increased. Georgia imports tomatoes mostly from Turkey and some smaller portions from Iran. It is interesting that Georgian tomatoes are leading in the local market from May to October, whereas during the other six months, Georgia mainly relies on imported tomatoes. This can be explained by the fact that the Georgian ministry of Agriculture so far has not supported farmers with special programs made for creating and maintaining the systems of green houses.