Georgia continues to face a severe potato shortage. The imports satisfy the high local demand. The next significant potato harvest, which accounts for 20–30% of the nation’s yearly potato production, starts in June in the Kvemo–Kartli area.

“There might be some early supplies in May, but usually, the volumes are not large. Stakeholders from the region report that many farmers have planted onions instead of potatoes,” according to an EastFruit analysis.

The aforementioned specialists predicted that from February till the start of the new season, Georgia will need to import at least 12,000 tonnes of potatoes. According to trade statistics from March 2023, 11,000 tonnes have been imported since January.

The government has imported more than 24,000 tonnes of potatoes since September 2022, the greatest amount in at least ten years, as a result of the potato shortage. Due to unfavorable weather, the local crop was weak in the autumn of 2022, which led to a significant requirement for imports.

The shortfalls have resulted in much higher wholesale prices for potatoes this season than in prior ones.

According to information provided to the media source by local stakeholders, several farmers in the Kvemo-Kartli region have shifted from planting potatoes to onions in preparation for the forthcoming harvest, which is anticipated in June 2023. The prices are the cause. Farmers noticed that onions harvested in June fared better than potatoes the previous year.