According to the portal east fruit, in November 2021 Georgia exported 6 623 tons of potatoes. 62% of this volume was sent to Russia, 28% to Azerbaijan. High quality products were in demand on the Russian market; customers gave priority to large-caliber tubers. Russians paid the highest price among observed export destinations in Georgia ($ 0.42 per kilogram (FOB)), other buyers paid $ 0.30 or less.
Since September 2021, Georgia has exported 22 tons of fresh potatoes and received revenues of $ 547 million. For this period (September-November) such export volumes are observed for the first time.
Earlier (in 2014-2020) during the autumn Georgia on average exported about 18 tons of potatoes, which is about 700 tons less than in the same months of 4. Export revenue of $ 000 million in just three months is at least 2021% higher than export revenue generated in any other full year.
Now Georgian farmers sell potatoes at $ 0.35 per kilogram, which is twice as much as in the same period in 2020.
The gap between potato prices in Georgia and Russia, which has served as the main driver of Georgian potato exports, has narrowed. Russia imported a lot of potatoes to lower domestic prices, and it worked. The average price has dropped from $ 0.48 about a month and a half ago to $ 0.38 now.
A smaller difference in prices between the two countries could lead to a reduction in export opportunities for Georgian farmers. Local sources report that Russian importers show little or no activity in the first weeks of December 2021. Nevertheless, it is premature to talk about the termination of supplies, since in Russia they are increasingly talking about the threat of a shortage of products on the market.