This year's olive harvest increased 2.5-fold. As Giorgi Svanidze, founder of the company "Svanidze Olive Oil," states, today more farmers and companies are interested in olive cultivation.
The businessman explains that the more plantations are established and the larger the harvest, the more product there will be for the export market as well — allowing major chains such as Carrefour and others to be supplied with Georgian olives.
"This year the weather was very good for olives. We received roughly 2.5 times more olives; we'll be able to state the exact figure by the end of March. The number of olive plantations has grown as well. During the olive harvest, we would open the factory at six in the morning, and farmers would line up to deliver their product. We're glad that people have already begun actively planting olives. Even large companies have now expressed a desire to cultivate this crop. We've already signed several cooperation agreements — for example, with KTW, where we're talking about planting hundreds of hectares of olives, as well as with the Partnership Fund. And we, of course, increase the volume of our planted areas every year," Giorgi Svanidze noted.
According to him, the olive crop has proven successful not only in Kakheti but in other regions as well. Giorgi Svanidze advises farmers to take an interest in this crop.
"Just imagine — this is a thousand-year-old crop. Olives bear fruit for centuries. Planting olives is the kind of endeavor that benefits future generations. Today we find it difficult to negotiate with large chains, because we don't have enough product. The more plantations are established, the more product we will have. It's also worth noting that olives grown in different regions have entirely different flavors. For example, olives grown in Taribana, Sighnaghi, or Baghdati have distinct taste characteristics," Giorgi Svanidze explained.
Svanidze says that for the "Svanidze Olive Oil" company, replacing imports with local products is the top priority; however, since demand is growing and interest in this crop has increased sharply, the first shipment abroad is planned for the autumn.
As is known, Georgian oil first appeared in 2016 and captured 10–12% of the local market; today, approximately 20–22% of imported products have been replaced.
On March 26, 2016, the first "Svanidze Olive Oil" processing factory was opened in the village of Saqobo, Sighnaghi district.
The olive production facility is equipped with ultra-modern technology, which enables the manufacture of the highest-quality, competitive Georgian products. The factory's capacity allows for the production of several hundred tons of olive marinade and premium-quality extra virgin olive oil per season.
For reference, efforts to revive Georgia's olive-growing tradition began with the support of His Holiness the Patriarch and the Georgian diaspora. A multi-million investment was made in this unique project, as a result of which a 300-hectare olive plantation (250,000 olive seedlings) was established.
