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Special Unit Is Mobilized to Disperse Peasants

September 17, 2007

Petre Tsiskarishvili: “I warn everybody to avoid demonstrations, unless you obey my advice, you will regret!”

Vintage started a week ago in Kakheti region; however, peasants cannot reap grapes yet. The biggest Grape Companies “GVS” and “Telavi Wine Cellar” are not going to buy grape from the population. The reason is the delay in realization of their last-year-wine. Many other factories also refuse to buy grape for the same reason. Government promised that peasants will no have problems to sell their harvest though they could not keep it. Neither Gurjaani based Coordinative Office-Vintage 2007 can assist the local people. Meanwhile grape in the area of Alazani River started to get rot.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, this year 180 thousand tones of grape will be reaped in Kakheti region. Large amount of harvest caused to lower the price on grape. One kilo of grape costs 15 tetri less than its price last year; average price of one kilo of grape will be from 18 to 22 tetri. As for one kilo of Saferavi (a kind of grape), it is in the least demand this year. Wine Factories do not receive damaged grape at all. It must be pointed out that in August hail seriously damaged the wine-yards in the villages of Sagarejo district. Grape was hailed in the village of Velistsikhe in Gurjaani district, in the villages of Tsinandali in Telavi district and some part of Kvareli district.

“Our Wine Factory receives one kilo of grape for 18 tetri but we are not going to buy Saferavi at the moment. Peasants come; inquire about the price and having heard about low price, they leave the factory. They have taken loans to look after the grape and now cannot pay those debts with the money they will receive for the grape,” said Maguli Ghvaladze, director of wine factory, “Georgian Products, Ltd”.
 
Despite the situation, the government states that everything is ready to carry out vintage properly. “Vintage will be as successful this year as it was last year. The harvest is perfect and peasants do not have problem to sell it at all. We have established coordinative office in Gurjaani and my deputy Bakur Kvezereli is the head of the office. They will coordinate the vintage for five weeks; they will help the peasant to find a customer,” said Petre Tsiskarishvili, Minister of Agriculture who added that “You’d rather press out the grape than hold demonstrations and make scandal because of the situation. I should tell you that I do not advise you to go into the street. Every demonstrator will regret then.”

Despite the threats, peasants are going to attract the government’s attention by demonstrations. “Grapes are getting rot in wine yards in the villages near the Alazani River. We cannot gather it because factories that should accept our harvest are paying too little. I have taken a loan of 3 thousand lari from bank. I thought I would pay the loan after I sell the grape; I also hoped to buy food, bread wheat and cloths for children, but now I will not afford anything. Our labor is never reimbursed properly. Wild plum is more expensive than grape. I do not know where to press out so many grapes. It seems we have to leave it on vine trees. If they do not help us, the whole village will hold demonstration. They might pay attention to us in this way,” said Valiko Nanobashvili, a resident of the village of Vakiri in Signagi district.

Human Rights Center learned that on Friday the Minister of Agriculture held closed meeting with the governors of Kakheti Region districts in the Vintage Coordinative Office.  Representatives of law enforcement bodies also attended the meeting. The Minister called upon the governors to warn village governors to inform local police stations as soon as villagers plan any kind of demonstrations. It must be pointed out that after Tsiskarishvili’s visit special units have been mobilized in the building of Gurjaani Police Station.

Nobody wants to make comments regarding the situation in the Vintage Coordinative Office. Moreover, they explained that the head of their office and representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Akaki Sikharulidze, is tired and having rest. In fact, peasants told us that representatives of the office were having party in the restaurants instead of work.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

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