ACDI/VOCA Introduces High-Value Blueberries to Increase Smallholder Incomes

Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, over 62,000 hectares of tea lands in Georgia fell into disuse, the majority of which remains abandoned and overgrown to this day. The collapse of the tea industry in Georgia has led to a dire economic situation in areas where tea was previously an important crop.

Since 2004 ACDI/VOCA's $23 million USAID-funded AgVANTAGE project has been investigating prospects for effectively utilizing lands where tea production is no longer commercially viable. Soil tests have revealed a high level of acidity in these lands, which makes them particularly well suited to blueberry production.

Blueberries are a high-value crop that are grown extensively in the U.S., Canada, Poland and other countries. Due to high demand, profitable blueberry production worldwide has tripled in the past 30 years. However, blueberries have never been cultivated in Georgia. Two years ago, the AgVANTAGE project imported 12 blueberry varieties from the U.S. and planted them in three demonstration sites in the Imereti province to show the crop's potential to local growers.

In an effort to further assess the adaptability of this crop, AgVANTAGE established two additional research-demo sites in the Guria province in April 2007. Modern cultivation practices key to achieving high yields are applied in all five demonstration sites, including drip irrigation and mulching.

“Next year we will begin to see tangible results. If our expectations prove accurate our demo sites will lead to future investments,” AgVANTAGE Production Unit Manager Zviad Bobokashvili said.

Before this new cultivar was introduced in Georgia, a series of educational seminars were held throughout the country to raise farmers’ awareness and encourage them to start producing this promising and profitable crop.