Tbilisi (GBC) – COVID-19 turned out unable to prevent Frutilia from growing export sales. As noted by the company founder, the pandemic has made the customs clearance longer because of tighter safety standards. The process takes 7-8 hours, he added.

As noted by Vakhtang Bezhitashvili, Frutilia will export Georgian peach to Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. As for Azerbaijan, the company suspended exports to this country because of high customs tariffs.

The peach season will start in a week. At this stage, 1 kg of peach costs 1-1.5 GEL and Bezhitashvili expects prices to grow. The company has not leased refrigerator complexes yet. Specific location for the complex will be chosen after it signs a final agreement with exporter country.

Twenty refrigerator complexes have engaged in fruit processing this year. Part of them has introduced the so-called Shock Freezing method that enables to store fruit for 5-6 months. This year the forecast harvest of peach and nectarine in Kakheti Region is 35,000 tons.

At this stage, Frutilia exports berry and plans to add cornelian cherry and cherry together with peach to its exports.