Total value of agro-food product exports from Georgia in 2020 was USD 942.2 million which is 6% higher as compared to 2019 figure. The biggest export items are as follows: wine (22%), spirits (14%), mineral and drinking water (12%), hazelnuts (10%), non-alcoholic fizzy drinks (3%) and cigarettes (3%).
In 2020, in total 92 countries were destinations of Georgian agro-food exports and excluding exports of cigarettes, tobacco and tobacco leaf materials which were counted as re-export, total value of agro-food exports was USD 898.2 million.
Graph 1: Foreign Trade by Years (USD Million)
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection
As illustrated by the graph, agro-food exports in 2020 increased by 4%, import decreased by 4% whilst negative trade balance reduced by 27%.
Top export destinations for Georgia’s agro-food exports in 2020 are as follows: Russia (USD 287 million), EU (USD 163 million), Azerbaijan (USD 100 million), Ukraine (USD 93 million), Armenia (USD 54 million), Kazakhstan (USD 35 million) and Belarus (USD 32 million).
Russia and the EU member states account for the better part of the total exports with their shares at 30% and 17.3%. In 2020, USD 163 million value agro-food was exported to the EU member states (UK included) which is 26% higher as compared to 2019 figure (USD 33 million). The major export items to the EU countries are as follows: raw and processed hazelnuts (50%), wine (15%), spirits (15%), and mineral water.
Export to Germany increased by USD 16.5 million (66%) in the reporting year which was stipulated by the growth of hazelnut exports (by USD 15.2 million). Export to Italy increased by USD 5.9 million (41%) which is also stipulated by the rising hazelnut exports. Export to Turkey increased by USD 13 million, stipulated by the growth in exports of fish oil and fish fliur, by USD 5 million (2.2 times) and USD 3.8 milllion (73%), respectively. Export of agricultural products to Saudi Arabia increased by USD 8.9 million (150%) and the reason is growth in exports of live sheep by USD 7.9 million (5.5 times).
In 2020, export to Iran dropped sharply by USD 13 million (82%), caused by reduced exports of sheep meat. In particular, total value of sheep meat exports to Iran was USD 12.4 million whilst in 2020 it was only USD 58,000. The exports to Russia too, dropped by USD 9.3 million, stipulated by decrease in exports of wine as well as in mineral and drinking water by USD 16.6 million (27%) and USD 13.7 million (10%), respectively. Exports bound to China also decreased by USD 7.3 million (26%). The reason behind shrinki exports to China was also decrease in wine exports, in particular by USD 5.6 million (30%).
The growth of exports in agro-food products in 2020 as compared to 2019 was largely stipulated by rising exports in hazelnuts, fish oil, peach and nectarine, fish flour and frozen meat of cattle. In particular, hazelnut exports increased by 34%.
In regard to agro-food product imports, it amounted to USD 1,207,000 million in 2020 which is 4% less as compared to the previous year.
Top countries, exporting agro-food procuts to Georgia are as follows: Russia (28%), Ukraine (17%), Turkey (10%), Brazil (5%) and Germany (3%).
In 2020, the major import items to Georgia were wheat (9%), cigarettes (7%), poultry meat (7%) and Sugar (5%).
In 2020, total agro-food products imported to Georgia from the EU member states value of Georgia imported amounted to USD 263 million which is 10% (USD 28 million) less as compared to the previous year’s figure. The share of the EU member states in Georgia’s total agro-food imports is 2020%. The major import items to Georgia are as follows: spirits (8%), food additives (8%), poultry meat (7%), animal feed (6%), butter (5%), sugar (4%) and plant saplings (4%).
