Agricultural exports in Georgia have increased while imports have declined. That's according to recently release Ministry of Agriculture figures from 2008 and 2009. Exports reportedly increased by 25.4 percent between 2008 and 2009 while imports fell by 19 percent. The government estimates that last year the total value of exports at 286 million USD while 228 million USD were imported.
According to the last five year's statistical data, 2008 was the most active in terms of imports as agricultural products valued at 913 million USD were imported in the country. As for exports, 2005 was the most active year for exported agricultural products which were valued at 340 million USD.
Last year, Ukraine appeared to be the leader among the trade partners in agricultural products as agricultural products worth 70.8 million USD were exported there, which is 24.8 percent of total agricultural exports. Azerbaijan has also been active in respect to export as agricultural products of 41.8 million USD were exported there last year. According to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, the product value exported to Turkey last year was 32.7 million USD, about 11 percent of total agricultural product export value.
Nuts were in the highest demand last year among exports. Last year, nuts valued at 69.3 million USD were exported, about 24 percent of total exports.
Alcoholic drinks occupied the second position in export rate. Last year, alcoholic drinks valued at 40.8 million USD were exported, about 14.3 percent of total exports.
Last year wine with the value of 31.2 million USD was exported, about 11 percent of the total exports. Mineral water valued at 24.5 million USD was exported last year, about 8.6 percent of total exports. Sheep and cattle also showed impressive export results. According to the data from the Ministry of Agriculture, last year sheep with the value of 17.4 million USD and cattle with the value of 16,.9 million USD were exported.
In 2009 the total value of agricultural production import was 739 million USD. Last year Ukraine was the top import country. Agricultural production with the value of 183.9 million USD was imported in Georgia from Ukraine, which was 24.9 percent agricultural production. Russia appeared to be holding the second position with the agricultural product import value of 143.7 million USD last year, which was 19.5 percent of the whole agricultural product import value.
Brazil was also included in the list of important import countries with the agricultural product import value of 72.4 million USD in 2009 and neighboring Turkey's import value was 63.8 million USD, which was 8.6 percent of the whole agricultural product import value.
According to 2009 results, Georgia got the biggest import volume of wheat and Milisini. Officially, wheat and Milisini. with the value of 103.6 million USD was imported in 2009, which was 14 percent of the whole agricultural product import value.
Tobacco products appeared to be occupying important import positions. In 2009 tobacco products with the value of 79,3 million USD were imported from different countries - about 10.1 percent of the whole agricultural product import value. Sugar beets and sugar cane held leading positions in imports. In 2009 sugar beets and sugar cane with the value of 50 million USD were imported in the country, some 6.8 percent of the whole agricultural product import value. In 2009 vegetable oil import value was 29.1 million USD, which was 3.9 percent of the whole agricultural product import value.
In 2009 the value of agricultural production export in the European Union (EU) countries made 63.6 million USD. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Germany was the leading agricultural product exported with the value of 14.1 million USD. Important agricultural production export activities were apparent in Italy. According to 2009 data, agricultural production with the value of 7.7 million USD was exported to Italy and as for Spain, I exported agricultural production value last year | made 6.4 million USD.
Nuts were the most popular export products in the European Union countries as in I 2009 nuts with the value of 45.9 million USD were exported to the euro zone, which was 71.6 percent of the total agricultural product export in the EU. Wines followed as the next best export products to the EU countries. Ac-j cording to statistics, wine valued at 5.9 mil-j lion USD were exported, which some 9.4 per-j cent of the total agricultural product export in j the EU region. Mineral water export to EU j countries made up 3.6 million USD last year, | which was 5.6 percent of the total agricultural I product export to the EU region. |
