Wine Exports down 28.31% in Q1

Georgia's wine exports decreased by 28.31 percent from January-April 2009, compared to the same period last year.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, in the first quarter, Georgia exported 2.28m bottles of wine, compared to 3.18m bottles exported in the same time last year.

Ukraine is still the leading export market for Georgia and has a 41 percent share in wine exports.  However, exports to the country fell by 51.89 percent compared to last year’s first quarter. In January-April 2008, 1.956m bottles were exported to Ukraine, compared to 941,129 bottles exported in January-April 2009.

Belarus ranks second with 261,168 bottles exported to the country in the period, up from 138, 588 bottles in the similar period last year. Kazakh exports also rose. In the reported period, Georgia exported 229,366 bottles of wine to the country, up from 78,906 exported in the same period last year. Exports to Poland also rose. The country ranks fourth with 196,116 bottles exported to the country. The exports also increased to Lithuania, but decreased to Estonia, Latvia, and the U.S.

From January-March 2009, Georgia exported 50,208 bottles to China, 40,327 bottles to Sweden, and 38,982 bottles to Kyrgyzstan, for a total of 129,517 bottles. Georgia did not export wine to those countries during last year’s first quarter.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, in the first four months of 2009, Georgian wine was exported to 33 countries. In 2008, Georgia exported wine to 26 countries.

 © Georgian Business Week