Farmers held protest rally

Lela Khechoshvili, Kakheti

Farmers held demonstration in front of the district administration in Gurjaani to protest low price of grape. They blocked the central motorway. Population of Gurjaani municipality participated in the demonstration. They requested the wine factories to increase price on grape and pay 1 lari for 1 kilo Rkatsiteli and 2 lari for Saperavi. Otherwise, they will hold permanent demonstrations on Tbilisi-Telavi central motorway.

“Unless they pay my grape for proper price, I will throw it in front of the district administration building. They made fun of us when they sold so many vineyards to wine-makers. A wine-maker should own only a factory and farmers should have vineyards; in similar situation they will not process their own grape only,” Ivane Turiashvili said.

Farmers from Gurjaani said it is expensive to take care of the vineyard. They pay 140 lari for one procedure and 25-30 lari to a worker per day.

“Before they paid 70 tetri for 1 kilo Rkatsiteli but now they offer only 60 tetri. The government recalls about us only during elections; rest time they do not care about us,” farmer Tariel Zardiashvili said.

Chairman of the National Agency of Wine Giorgi Samanishvili met farmers. He said the harvest is in active process and about 80 companies accept grape.

“We do not know price yet. Average price is 65-85 tetri. It is more likely that price will increase, when the grape gets mature and better. The state announced the starting price to be paid to the farmer in order to save farmers from loss. Of course the price is higher than they spent on its cultivation. It is maximum insurance that can be provided by the state. We will see final price of grape in the second half of September,” Samanishvili said.

He added that the state will start purchase of grape from Dedoplistskaro and Signagi districts. They pay 25 tetri for 1 kilo Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane in addition to the state subsidy of 35 tetri; final price will be 60 tetri for 1 kilo. As for Saperavi, the state will pay 60 tetri for 1 kilo and with subsidies the price will reach 75 tetri. If the population fails to realize the grape, the state will pay more than the farmers spent on the cultivation of vineyards throughout the year. 

Gurjaani district governor Gia Gergidze arrived at the demonstration. He told humanrights.ge that the government does its best to support peasants and the rest will be regulated by market.

The demonstrators were dissatisfied with the statement of the Kakheti region deputy governor Zurab Arsenishvili who told farmers “you were offered good price this year.”

Minister of Agriculture Otar Danelia held special briefing about the start of Harvest 2015. He responded to the protest of farmers and said it was organized by some people. 

The demonstration in Kakheti started when harvest officially started. According to the National Agency of Wine, factories already accept grape in Dedoplistskaro, Tsnori, Gurjaani and Gurjaani districts. However the farmers are not happy with the offered prices.