Failed Orange Autumn in Adjara

Maka Malakmadze, Tamar Oganova, Adjara

Population of Adjara is discontent with the realization of mandarin. Part of harvest was not collected yet because of bad weather. Another collected part of the harvest is stored in boxes and waiting for purchasers; small part of them was sold on debt. Representatives of the Agriculture Ministry of Adjara state they have done everything to make the “orange” autumn successful.

Maguli Kavtaradze is resident of Akhalsopeli village. She has already sold 1 ton of standard mandarin and has to collect another part of it. “I did not collect whole harvest because we did not have client for small-size mandarins. Now, I still have 4 more tons of mandarin to collect. I sold one kilo of mandarin for 40 tetri but on debt. I hope they will pay money. This year we have more and better harvest but season is very unsuccessful.”

Peride Beridze from Peria village has to pick out healthy fruit every week. “I pick out good mandarins every week and threw rotten ones away. I harvested 5 tons of mandarin but nobody has come to buy it. I took fruit to Batumi to sell several times but price is too low. They hardly paid 35 tetri for large mandarins but clients are very few.”

Representatives of Adjara Agriculture Ministry state they had met the “orange” autumn prepared. “Ministry assigned buildings of former pavilions to citrus farmers for 1 lari and according to the agreement they had to produce European standard boxes for the transportation of harvest. 12 enterprises are working on it,” deputy minister Avtandil Meskhidze told humanrights.ge

According to official information, enterprises accept citrus in Adjara from November 1. However, those enterprises were closed in several villages. On December 6, Irakli Baramidze and Rezo Kharazi, member of the minority at the Adjara Supreme Council, found part of enterprises in Kobuleti district –in Mukhaestate, Tsetskhlauri and Kvirike villages, locked. In Kakuti village, the mandarin factory had accepted 60 tons of citrus and stopped functioning. 

Rich harvest of mandarin did not bring any profit for peasants. They are ready to sell fruit at low price but there are no clients. The mandarin transporters complain about huge transportation expenses.

Jemal Beridze, citrus transporter: “Mandarin gets spoiled very soon. Transportation service is not good enough. Several days ago, my friend took mandarin to Ukraine and ship arrived there ten days later. Meanwhile, mandarin rotted. Price is another problem. We have to pay 500 USD in Ukraine; it is too expensive.”

Deputy minister Avtandil Meskhidze said they cannot interfere in the regulations of country’s internal taxes. “They will not reduce taxes because of us. We only succeeded in case of Ukraine, where tax was reduced from 600 USD to 500 USD. In Russia, the tax is 235 USD.”

Deputy Minister explained lack of clients in Ukraine due to ongoing political events in the country. “Ministry cannot bring clients to citrus farmers. Lack of clients is caused by ongoing events in Ukraine. Situation will get stable and more mandarin will be exported there.”

According to the Adjara Agriculture Ministry, they intend to accept 18 000 tons of non-standard mandarin at the Akhalsopeli village enterprise. It is the only factory in Adjara, which pays 10 tetri for one kilo of mandarin and government pays another 10 tetri as a subsidy. Farmers hardly sell their harvest to the factory after standing in the queues during several days. “I came here yesterday and you see how many people are standing in the queue in front of me. They are working very slowly. I am waiting for them sitting in the car,” Davit Nogaideli said.

According to official information of the Adjara Agriculture Ministry, 6 ferries loaded with citrus have left Batumi and Poti Ports so far. 30 000 tons of citrus were exported from Georgia both by sea and land transports in total.