Georgian Potato Exports Boom

The fresh potato exports from Georgia soared last month, after an unusually high level of the country’s cultivar sales registered in September 2021.

Given the fact that spuds export activity was also reported in the first week of November, concerns about the impending shortage of potatoes in the Georgian market are still ongoing.

Ministry of Finance of Georgia data, cited by East Fruit, shows that the country exported 9,700 tons of potatoes in October 2021, which is 90% more than October exports over the last seven years combined.

Russia remained the main buyer, with an 81% share in export volumes. The export price on FOB terms for the Russian market was USD420 per ton, which is the highest price among the countries importing potatoes from this supplier in October.

Due to the unprecedented demand on the Russian market in September and October 2021, the export of Georgian fresh potatoes amounted to 16,000 tons. Experts say that this is three times more than the total exports for these months of 2014-2020.

With such a level of exports, potato prices in Georgia remained high. The average potato price for local farmers was USD0.35 per kg on November 5, 2021. This is 133% more than the average price on the same day in 2020, 46% more than in 2019, and 84% more than in 2018.