Agriculture Sector’s Economic Indicators

In the first half of 2017, the total output in agribusiness sector rose by 8% year on year.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the production of primary agriculture products constituted 1.9bln GEL, up 7% year on year. A major part of output was recorded in the cattle-breeding segment.

According to Geostat, the national statistics service of Georgia, the number of cattle has shrunk by 8% year on year, while the quantity of sheep and pigs has increased by 5% and 10% respectively. It should be noted that under Geostat methodology, growth in the cattle-breeding sector implies a growth in the number of cattle and poultry in the reporting period and it is a very important indicator to ensure growth in the production of animal products (meat, milk, egg). The number of cattle has shrunk because of high export indicators.

Output after processing agriculture products in the first half of 2017 made up 2.3bln GEL, up 9% year on year. Grains and milk processing, and the production of strong drinks occupies an important place in the processing industry.

Increased production of strong drinks has made a significant contribution to the sector growth. Strong drinks output made up 409mln GEL in the reporting period, up 33%. Dairy product output has also increased by annual 11% to 395mln GEL. (cbw.ge)