Kakhetian Vine Growers Accuse Government of Double-dealing and Lies

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

The vine growers from Kakheti region have fully evaluated the statements of Prime Minister of Georgia as lies. Moreover, the same is true with the Minister of Agriculture and the Kakheti Regional Governor on the statements about the “successful” harvest in the Kakheti Region – all liars. The truck are bottlenecked at wineries loaded with grapes, The lines in front of wine factories are so long that you can not even see where they end. The vine growers stand in the queue day and night. Peasants are crying in Kvareli, Gurjaani, Sagarejo, Telavi and Sighnaghi districts. Several of them have been trying to sell grape for several days already. Wine-factories receive the grape only from those people who are close to them.

Peasants have held several boisterous protest demonstrations because of the difficult situation that they face. Armed law enforcers have been called in case they need to control the angry peasants. During one of the incidents, Giorgi Jajanashvili, assistant to Gurjaani district governor, was ordered to file resignation letter because he assisted several rich farmers in the region to get into the factory without have to take their turn in the backup queues.

Peasants from the village of Samtatskaro in Dedoplistskaro district cannot receive the verbal agreement from the administrations of any factory that they will accept their grapes. The problem is particularly urgent in this district because the grapes are getting ripe earlier there than in other districts of Kakheti region. Locals claim that by September 10 they should have already harvested their crop.

“I still have to harvest nearly 100 tones of Saperavi (black grape used for the production of wine). District administration, Kakheti regional administration and Ministry of Agriculture promised their assistance several times. However, when we call them on the hot line they cannot reply which factory would accept our grape if we should try to deliver our harvest. The grapes have become so dry on the trees that nobody will now be willing to receive them in the factory,” said Niko Sakanelashvili, resident of the village of Samtatskaro.

Sakanelishvili stated that no wine-factories are working in Dedoplistskaro district. “It is very expensive to rent trucks to take grapes to these factories. Unless we know that one particular factory will actually purchase our grape we will have to visit several factories in the region like other peasants have to do. Under such circumstances, the money needed to buy grapes should come from the sale price of the grapes and in all there will not be enough money to cover the expenses for truck rental,” said a peasant from Samtatskaro.

Farmers from Dedoplistskaro district cannot sell their grape either. They reported to the Human Rights Center that factories are not purchasing their grape because of the directives they have received from governmental authorities.

“We have visited more than 15 factories during recent two weeks but still have not sold our harvest. As soon as they learn that amount of the grape is greater than 20 tones they refuse to purchase it. The owners of the factories told us in private talks that the authority ordered them to accept the grape of only peasants because the state subsidies are allocated only for them and not for small farmers,” said the farmers.

Last night nearly 2 kilometers long queue of trucks loaded with grape was standing in front of the wine factory of Chikaani in Kvareli district.

“We have been staying in this queue for four days already. They promise every evening to purchase our grape in the morning but they deceive us all the time. Meanwhile the grape has dried out and beginning to rot. When the regional governor arrives here they open the factory but as soon as he leaves they close the door again. They justify their action because of damaged equipment.  However, this is not true as on the other hand, the factory is receiving plenty of other people who are close to the factory administration. We do not request them not to deceive us while weighing the grape; we just want them to help us to free these trucks soon otherwise the entire harvest will rot,” said Ivane Varadashvili from the village of Gavazi.

Several days ago Kakheti regional governor, Giorgi Ghviniashvili met the businesspersons working in the region and asked them to purchase grape from peasants.

The businesspersons, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated that they have explained to the governor that they are not ready to purchase grape. However, the regional governor has not considered their request.

 “Recent war operations in Georgia mostly damaged business-companies. Besides that we have paid serious sums to assist IDPs. Thus, we cannot purchase grape now. Neither have we had vessels to place grape. We explained to the governor we were not ready to buy grape but they did not foresee our request,” said the businesspersons.

Despite many problems and difficulties of peasants regarding vintage process, Bakur Kvezereli, Georgian Minister of Agriculture, states that the vintage was successful in Kakheti region. “By this time, peasants have already sold 95 % of Saperavi and more than 50 % of Rkatsiteli (white grape),” said the minister.

After this comment of the minister, we conversed with the peasants who were standing in the two-kilometer-long queues in Gurjaani wine factory.

Nodar Songhulashvili, a resident of Gurjaani: “What else could he say?! He would never say that peasants have their grapes rot in the vineyards. Let him come here and see how long queues are in front of the factories during day and night; in rain and in the sun.”

Mikheil Natvlishvili, village of Chandari in Gurjaani district: “I was visiting the Harvest Coordination HQ of Kakheti for 15 days; I visited wine-factories too. However, I did not receive any proper answer from any of them. They just told me to pick grape and deliver to the factory. I did so but nobody purchases my grapes though I am waiting here for three days already. They do not even let me into the yard of the factory.”

Kakheti Regional Administration denies the accusation about oppressing businesspersons by trying to force them to purchase grapes from peasants. “Just tell us at least name of one businessman who blames us for oppression. We have not given any directions at all,” said Giorgi Botkoveli, deputy regional governor of Kakheti Region.