Located at the intersection of Europe and Asia, Georgia is consolidating its blueberry industry with new plantations, technology, and expertise from experienced growing regions.

With just seven years of commercial production, the young industry is coming together through the Georgia Blueberry Growers Association to organize production, help growers reach markets, improve technology, and incorporate newer, more competitive varieties.

Tornike Phanjavidze, the president and founder of the Georgia Blueberry Growers Association (GBGA) and the CEO of the largest blueberry orchard in the country, told Freshfruitportal.com that the Association is made up of 22 farmers with 1,000 hectares (around 2,471 acres) of blueberries planted. 

The organization's growers represent over 40% of Georgia's blueberry production and 60% and 70% of large commercial orchards. 

"We have created this organization to share knowledge, enter new markets, and protect our grower's interest with suppliers, customers, and government entities," Phanjavidze explained. 

The country now has 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of blueberry plantations and is growing rapidly. 

Last year, grower members of GBGA exported over 600 tons to Europe and Gulf countries. 

"Orchards are very new, around 1-2 years old, so around 40% of our hectares were not in production last year. They are still growing," Phanjavidze indicated. 

However, he said, the number will grow this year, reaching over 1,000 tons of exports to markets. 

As a country, Georgia exported over 4,000 tons last year and could reach 6,000 tons this year. 

"We have incorporated modern technology and new varieties into our industry," Phanjavidze said. "Seven to 10 years ago, older varieties like Legacy, Duke, and others were planted; however, for the last couple of years, we have shifted to new high chill varieties from Fall Creek."

The President of the Association said that over 50% of orchards from growing members have integrated new Fall Creek varieties, such as Loreto Blue and Olympus Blue. 

"Overall, we have a big assortment of varieties because we can plant mid and high-chill varieties, which gives us the ability to produce from mid-May to late July," he said. 

Sekoya blueberries enter the scene in Georgia

The latest trend in Georgia's blueberry industry is Sekoya blueberries, which have entered the market through companies like Agrovision.

These companies are sublicensing the plants to farmers. 

"By the end of this season, we will have 150 hectares of Sekoya Crunch, Grande, and Fiesta varieties planted in Georgia, around 500,000 plants," Phanjavidze indicated. 

Export markets and new destinations

Nearly all the blueberries grown in Georgia are destined for export, especially commercial growers, who are association members. 

The main export markets are the European Union. 

"We have exported to Germany and Poland, spoken with the U.K., and negotiated with Spain. We are also exporting to Gulf countries, such as Dubai, UAE, and Saudi Arabia," Phanjavidze said. 

Additionally, he indicated for the first time this year, Georgian blueberries will enter the Indian market.

"Our geographic location allows us to work in Asian and European markets. However, we are farther away from the market compared to competing countries like Serbia and Romania," he added. 

Implementing technology from experienced markets 

Georgian growers have implemented South American post-harvest technologies to extend shelf life. 

"We are working with consultants from Chile and Peru to help us move forward. Additionally, to improve the quality of our fruit, we work with European and South American agronomists. Since we have such a young industry, farmers must have access to the knowledge," Phanjavidze said.

One of the Association's roles is to connect farmers with specialists, provide training programs, and facilitate exports. 

Plans to extend production areas in Georgia

The Association is also expanding the country's production area, now focused on the western regions, to extend the export window. 

"Now we have production from mid-May to July, so we are implementing a demo plot in the east, in a slightly higher elevation where we can produce from July to September," Phanjavidze said.

With this, they expect to become more competitive in the global scene soon. 

Growing methods 

Blueberry plantations in the country are a hybrid between potted and conventional plants. 

The Association launched the largest pot project in Georgia, 20 hectares, with over 120,000 plants. 

"The direction of the industry was only soil before, with little plants in pots and substrate, but this is changing in every orchard, especially for early varieties and Sekoya Crunch," the President explained. 

However, not all plants are in pots; there are still many plantations in the soil that are growing new varieties. Georgia does not have ideal soil for blueberries because it has a high clay content, making it better to grow in pots. 

Challenges for Georgia's blueberry growers

Phanjavidze explained that climate change is one of the main challenges for growers. For example, the country experienced heavy snowfall several weeks ago, which damaged orchards. 

"We also lack the knowledge and experience from growers, so we still lack proper post-harvest processes, which is why we are bringing partners from around the world that can help us do everything right," he said. 

Looking ahead 

Regarding expansion plans for upcoming years, Phanjavidze believes the trend toward Sekoya will continue as the first plantations come into production. 

"With new genetics and premium varieties, I think most investments will go in this direction, especially because if we want to look at other markets like Asia, they have high flavor taste and texture demands which are very important to fulfill," Phanjavidze said. 

For GBGA growers, he projects that production will increase exponentially as more plants come into production, with better yields per hectare. 

"In four years, we estimate our exports to reach 10,000 tons, and as a country, we should reach 25,000 tons during our season," he concluded. 

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