Wine Factories Do not Take Grapes from Farmers

The pheasants from Dedoplistskaro District informed the Human Rights Center that the wine factories do not take grapes from them and say they were instructed by the Georgian government to do so.

“I have visited more than 15 wine factories in two weeks period of time but none of them agreed to buy grapes from me. When they find out that we want to sell more than 20 tones, they refuse to buy it. Wine factory owners explained to us that they were unofficially instructed by the government to buy grapes only from peasants and not from farmers (a person is considered to be a farmer if his harvest exceeds 20 tones and if it is below 20 tones, a person is a peasant). The government does not grant subsidies for them,” stated the farmers.

Kote Khutsaidze, head of “Harvest 2008” coordinating committee launched by the Ministry of Agriculture in Gurjaani district denies this information.

Farmers have been unable to sell grapes up to present time.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti