REASONS TO CHOOSE GEORGIA:• Wide-range of climatic zones year around and off-season crops
• Pure, rich and pesticide-free soils - ideal for organic production
• Rich tradition in viticulture, fruits and nuts, cattle breeding, tea
• GSP with United States, GSP+ with EU, FTA with Turkey and CIS countries.
Agriculture in Georgia has been one of the greatest beneficiaries of reforms since 2004, particularly in the areas of land reform, ownership rights and tax reform.
Furthermore, agriculture has benefited tremendously from liberal Trade Regimes, such as the FTA & GSP+ agreements with Georgia s major trading partners. Likewise, Georgia has been a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 2000 and has access to non-traditional markets and protection from dumping.
In 2010, the agriculture sector including hunting, forestry and fishing accounted to GEL 1.52 Billion, 8.4% of the total GDP. About 53% of the workforce is employed in agriculture. Georgia s major crops are wheat, maize, barley, sunflower, potato, citrus fruits, tea, fruit and vegetables, hazelnuts.
INVESTABLE AREASGeorgian agriculture is in a period of transformation, which creates a vast number of investment opportunities. Some of the most advantageous investable sectors include:
• Wine Sector
• Mineral and Portable Water
• Forestry
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Herbs and Medical Plants• Fishery• Citrus Production• Intensive Apple Production• Fresh Culinary Herbs• Off-Season Storage• Georgian Beef Fattening Operation• Fruit Jam and Sauce Processing• Integrated Dairy Production • Pedigree Poultry Hatching Eggs One key area of investment is in the introduction of modern agricultural technology and infrastructure, which can significantly increase production and contribute to the overall export potential for Georgia s agricultural products. Likewise, significant growth potential exists in dairy, animal breeding and fisheries, especially in the vertical supply chain development.
INCENTIVES FOR AGRICULTUREIn order to stimulate growth and investment in agriculture, Georgia has implemented the following incentives structure:
• 0% of property tax on small plots of land (less than 5 ha)
• 0% of property tax on property transaction
• 0% VAT on primary supply of agricultural products
• 0% of import duty on agricultural and other equipment
• Opportunity to privatize agricultural land – 75% of all agricultural land is State-owned
AGRICULTURE SECTOR STUDY (PDF, 1.8 MB)CURRENT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURE:
