Georgia seeks to modernise agriculture, PM

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said the government aimed to modernise the country’s rural economy by supporting technologically advanced and business-oriented farming operations.

Speaking at the presentation of the Agricultural Development Index on Monday, Kobakhidze said the initiative would provide important analytical insight into the performance of the sector and help guide economic policy.

He thanked the investment bank Galt & Taggart for creating what he described as a “timely and strategically important platform” for assessing the state of agriculture.

“Agriculture is one of the key pillars of our economy and a driving force of regional development,” the PM said. “Our goal is to help rural areas modernise, including through the establishment of strong, technologically equipped and business-oriented farms.”

Kobakhidze noted reliable data and sector analysis were essential for effective economic planning. 

He also highlighted the “rapid expansion of Georgia’s food market.” In 2025, he said the country’s food products market reached 21.5bn lari (around $8bn), nearly doubling since 2019. If current trends continue, the government expects the market to grow to around 30bn lari by 2030.

Despite the growth, Kobakhidze said Georgia remained significantly dependent on imports in key areas such as meat, dairy products and grain.

“Our main task is to respond to this growing demand with local production,” he said.