TBILISI, September 1 – Georgia’s 2025 grape harvest begins under new rules that scrap subsidies for private companies and leave only the state-owned “Harvest Management Company” to buy up surplus grapes.
The government also announced prices in advance: 1.50 lari per kilo for Saperavi, 1.20 lari for Rkatsiteli and other varieties, and 1 lari for damaged grapes.
Giorgi Samanishvili, former head of the National Wine Agency, told Business Media that the change does not yet mean the state is moving away from subsidies altogether. He welcomed the cancellation of the outdated program that paid private firms extra money on top of grape prices, as well as the decision to publish purchase prices before harvesting began.
Still, he argues that subsidies themselves create the surplus problem. Farmers often deliver lower-quality grapes to the state, knowing they will be paid regardless, instead of selling to winemakers who demand quality. With modern farming technologies, yields have grown, but not necessarily the quality of the harvest.
According to Samanishvili, reducing state purchases would encourage farmers to focus on higher-quality grapes and strengthen the market in the long run.
