In order to increase the export, sale, competitiveness and awareness of Georgian wine abroad the government of Georgia has decided to co-finance marketing campaigns of wine companies in export markets except for CIS countries.
Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili announced that the government had approved the new state program to promote Georgian wine abroad.
The program will be implemented by the National Wine Agency and its budget will be 3 million GEL (about $0.96 million or EUR 0.81 million).
“Our goal is to increase sales in export markets in new geographies. We want to slow down and reduce our dependence on existing traditional markets. The marketing budget for one company per year was set at 600,000 GEL, however this is an initial, pilot version and if we see that the program is being implemented successfully, the state may allocate additional funds”, Davitashvili said.
He added that in order for wine companies not to replace marketing activities at the expense of the budget of the new program, one of the criteria was that they should increase marketing activities and budgets, which would be confirmed by the audit.
Davitashvili said that 341 companies exported wine to 53 countries in 2019, while in 2020 about 371 companies exported wine to 60 countries. (Agenda/Business World Magazine)