The large Georgian company Nuts Incorporated owning more than 700 ha of almond orchards (Supernova, Lauren, and Guara varieties) in Eastern Georgia, is waiting for the first industrial harvest of almonds this year and plans to start exports, EastFruit reports.
“Last year we saw the “first sign” of upcoming harvest in our almond orchards, and we are waiting for a commercial harvest this year. We estimate that this year’s harvest will cover operating expenses. We are now in our fourth year of planting our orchards, and it takes 7 years to come to full fruition, so we expect our crops to grow in the coming years. We introduced the samples of the first harvest to the countries of Europe and the Persian Gulf, and we think that this year we will start working on exports,” Tornike Latatia, director of Nuts Incorporated LLC, said in an interview with Agritalk (a project supported by the USAID Agriculture Program).
Speaking about the company’s immediate plans, Tornike Latatia said that she is currently working on strengthening the mechanization and digitalization in her orchards.
Tornike Latatia, who is also a representative of the Georgian Almond and Walnut Association, noted the considerable role of USAID in the development of the industrial production of almonds in the country. According to him, the Agency helps both in importing the best knowledge on the cultivation and processing of almonds into the country and in relation to the sale of products – by supporting the participation of Georgian companies in international exhibitions.
According to the latest information, Nuts Incorporated owns about 2 200 ha of orchards in Georgia, of them 1 200 ha of hazelnuts, up to 800 ha of almonds, and 200 ha of blueberries. The company has its own refrigeration and storage facilities and other industrial infrastructure.
For more information: east-fruit.com