Summary

Georgia is one of the world’s northernmost tea producers. Tea is grown in five regions of Western Georgia: Adjara, Guria, Samegrelo, Imereti and Abkhazia. While Georgians have been drinking herbal concoctions from time immemorial, tea as we know it is believed to have first arrived in the early 19th century when Prince Mamia V Gurieli began growing Camellia Sinensis in his botanical garden. But it was another prince, Miha Eristavi, who smuggled seeds from China and established the first tea plantation in 1847. His presumption that west Georgia’s climate was ideal for the green and black plants were spot on. The 1950s were the golden age of Georgian tea, as the state weaned itself off imports and created more plantations, developed harvesting machinery and high-yield hybrid varieties resilient to low temperatures. By the mid-1980s, Georgia was the fourth largest tea exporter in the world with 60,000 hectares bringing in a whopping 152,000 tons of tea. The tea harvest peaked in 1985 at 152,000 tons. During this period, nearly 70,000 hectares of land were allocated to tea cultivation. In many villages in western Georgia, tea cultivation was a way of life. Nearly 180,000 people were involved in the various production stages of the tea value chain. When the USSR collapsed, Georgia’s tea industry went with it, as the state, bogged down in two separatist conflicts, civil war and general economic chaos.

In the last century, Georgia occupied 5-6 place among world tea producers. The total area of tea plantations was 66,0 thousand hectares; 450-500 thousand tons of raw materials were produced annually. The main customer of the product was the Soviet Union, where 95 percent of the consumed tea was Georgian. Georgian tea was exported to Europe and Asia as well. Tea culture has a great ecological significance in the humid subtropical zone of Georgia. Tea plantations protect the slopes from erosion and landslide phenomena, enrich the soil and microclimate. Over the past 20-25 years, a large part of tea plantations has been destroyed due to the severe political and economic situation in the country, and the tea producer and exporter country in the past has become an importer, which spends millions of dollars to meet the demands of its own population. Against this backdrop, the demand for local organic tea is gradually increasing. The urgent task along with the rejuvenation of farmers and peasants’ private tea plantations is the development of new plantations with high-productive sequential varieties and clones.

Mapping the Existing Situation in Tea Production

Currently Georgia produces many kinds of Tea among them, black, green, white, flavored and herbal. The tea producing regions are: Guria, Samegrelo, Adjara and Imereti. In Georgia, due to favorable soil-climatic conditions, the tea plucking season lasts for 6 months. According to experts in the field, high quality of raw materials and competitive price is the main advantage of Georgian tea.

There are mostly Chinese tea species in Georgia, the duration of their vegetation is 150-210 days, and frost resistance is -14-15C. Although, under snow cover it can withstand -20C temperature. During the vegetation period, the annual sum of perennial average sediments at 1200-1300 mm, the sum of precipitation is less than 600 mm. Soil moisture intensity should vary between 80-85% of the marginal tendency and 70-80% of air. Tea is more resistant to agro-climatic risks compared to other cultures. (Frost, hail, drought, snow, etc.).

In Georgia, there are several large-scale factories harvesting tea leaves from their own plantations, processing them, and making various tea types. Most of these factories focus on low-quality tea production, which accounts for 90-95 percent of their total production. This low- quality tea is sold to ex-port markets. High and medium quality tea is for high-quality domestic and foreign markets. There are companies, which specialize, in high-quality production of tea. For example, The enterprise “Sakartvelos Taiguli”/ "Georgian Bouquet" is located in Ozurgeti. The company has been producing high quality tea in Ozurgeti district since 1997 and sells it at the local market and exports mainly in Ukraine. The raw materials are mostly purchased from the farmers. The investment of 428 thousand dollars was made in order to build the new enterprise, the amount included the grant, private in- vestment and financing through "cheap agro credit". Company produces premium quality Georgian black and green Tea. Tea produced by "Georgian Bouquet" is sold through the "Golden Bouquet" and "Georgian Extra" brands. The "Golden Bouquet" will be presented by two types of green and black tea, and the "Georgian Extra" brand will be sold in five varieties packed tea.

”Anaseuli experimental tea factory” Ltd is one of the oldest tea companies in the whole western Georgia. It has more than 50 years of continuously producing high-quality black and green tea from the plantations. The company annually produces 300 tons of tea products and sells them in the countries of Eastern Europe. In addition to traditional black and green tea is also produced an innovative product: "T ea for diabetics". "Tkibuli Tea", produces 10 varieties of tea. Each year more than 50 tons of "Tkibuli Tea" is exported to Russia, Ukraine and Czech Republic. Georgian tea is gradually becoming popular, because it is biologically pure: “Tkibuli Tea” is registered at "Sakpatenti" as an ecologically clean tea maker. One of the significant representatives of the Georgian tea producers is Bitadze LTD, which started to implant new technologies in Georgia in order to improve quality of tea and standardize it. The company focuses on producing highest quality, organic products. From 2010 Bitadze L.T.D started to develop new Georgian tea cultivar called Georgian purple tea. Georgian purple tea is unique because of its taste, usually purple teas from other countries have bitter taste (especially Chinese purple tea), Georgian purple tea has very unique light bittersweet taste with pleasant and rich aroma. Company produces number of variety of tea under the brand “Georgian Tea 1847”. There are more and more companies producing organic Georgian tea, one of them is also company “Manna”. MANNA is focused on producing of ecologically pure and organic products that do not contain harmful substances and supplements. During the production process the ISO 22000 and HACPP standards are followed. The company has also obtained the certificate of internationally recognized company “Caucascert” for production of bio-products. Company produces organic black and green teas with flavors.

There are also herbal Teas produced in Georgia. The outstanding producer of Georgian herbal Tea is company «Farconi», which produces 100% natural products from medicinal wild-growing herbs, which contain no additives, flavor enhancers and impurities. «Farconi» is the only company in Georgia, which manufactures products certified by international quality standards. The company in its activity strictly follows the requirements of national and international legislation, as well as the European Pharmacopoeia. The assortment of trademark «Farconi» consists of medicinal herbs and wild berries. All products are 100% natural, contain no additives, flavor enhancers and impurities and are made from wild-growing medicinal herbs and wild berries.

The outstanding and unique variety of Georgian Tea is “Wine Tea”. The idea to produce wine tea belongs to a pharmacologist named Irakli Natroshvili, who was making a research on the beneficial characteristics of red wine (Saperavi) 25 years ago. He has discovered that after processing the wine, it has exactly the same beneficial qualities as before. “The uniqueness of tea is that there are no analogues in the world market. The tea contains all the useful substances of wine, and at the same time protects the consumer from the harmful influence of alcohol. It can be consumed by young children, the elderly, all those who are not drink alcohol for various reason,” says startup founder Giorgi Bukia.

Tea Cultivation in a Country

According to the statistical data, currently Georgia has tea plantations in 19200 ha. The tea leaves from 2500 hectares can be reconstructed at 7200 ha, and the new plantations can be grown at 9500 hectares.

In the 30-90s of the last century Georgian scientists have been selected by high quality products of Tea (academician Ksenia Bakhtadze), breeds and clones. The "Kolkhida" variety is of particular interest. The tea plant "Kolkhida" has been cultivated with the development of vegetable seedlings, progressive technology of plantations and exploitation, which did not have a world analogy. The potential yield of "Kolkhida" variety is 13-15 tons of high-quality raw materials, and the products produced by it are quality standards of the world’s best tea standards. Nowadays tea selective breeds and clones production plantations are found only in Anneuli (Ozurgeti) and Chakvi (Adjara). These varieties require urgent rehabilitation and reproduction. For the first stage, small nurseries are needed for the production of seed and salmon, which will enable the creation of these varieties of Georgian selective teas and clones and the creation of genomes.

Tea leaves are reaped from tea shrubs in plantations. As per the National Statistics Office of Georgia, 60% of tea estates are possessed and worked by households (2014). According to the Agricultural Projects’ Management Agency there is still no exact information about the quantity of households owning plantations or about the quantity owned by government. The date is expected to be more accurate after the finalization of the “The “Project of registration of farms/ farmers” regulates a system of the united registry of farmers/farms which will consolidate information on the entities employed in the agricultural activities, their agricultural-economic activities and agricultural assets existing in their ownership/maintenance in the united electronic database. The Project is initiated by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agricultura of Georgia and is being implemented by the Agricultural Projects Management Agency.

The greater part of the plantations in Georgia is not fenced (and hence tea hedges risk being crushed by animals) and much of the time are congested. These outcomes in low efficiency. Development, upkeep (e.g., pruning) and reaping are finished by hand. Albeit some enormous homesteads still have out of date Soviet apparatus in their ownership, the nature of machine-reaped tea is incredibly low. As far as quality, tea reaped in such a way is 6 leaves and a bud (6L&B) or more, which must be utilized in low-quality tea creation. The cutting-edge industry standard for quality tea, or alleged orange pekoe (Operation), contains a couple of leaves and a bud (1L&B and 2L&B), and for volume tea, or supposed BOP (broken orange pekoe), includes three leaves and a bud (3L&B) or more. For 1 kilogram of handled tea (alleged "made tea"), 4 to 4.5 kilograms of crude tea leaves are fundamental (the tea change proportion fluctuates between 4 to 4.5 kilograms (green leaf to usable tea).

Tea Processing

The most family units owning tea plantations have under 1 hectare of land for cultivation, it doesn’t bode well for every one of them to pro- cess their collected tea leaves. This job is taken on by manufacturing plants (be they little, medium or enormous) that gather crude tea leaves from tea cultivators for preparing. The accumulation happens through truck, and sometimes old Soviet period vehicles are utilized. Tea leaf handling normally happens utilizing old Soviet-time machines, which must be marginally remodeled locally. These machines were created with an attention on keeping up a high volume of generation and not on keeping up or improving the nature of handled tea leaves. Present day benchmarks require a lot higher-quality apparatus and re- designed structures for handling, bundling and capacity. There are two primary techniques for preparing tea. The first is the standard, or uni- versal, technique (to be talked about underneath), and the second is the CTC (cut-tear-twist) strategy. Numerous individuals erroneously feel that dark and green tea are created from two various types of tea shrubberies. Actually, all assortments of tea are created from a similar tea bramble (Camellia Sinensis). What gives teas their unmistakable qualities is how the leaves are prepared. Handling dark tea includes culling, shriveling, rolling, oxidizing and drying tea leaves. The best two leaves are picked with their buds amid the season, for the most part by hand. The wilting stage includes diminishing the mugginess in leaves and taking into consideration enzymatic oxidation. From that point forward, the tea leaves are rolled and curved, which discharges normal juices from the cells of the leaves. This procedure can be em- braced utilizing uncommon apparatus just as being finished by hand, however it is tedious. After the moving stage, dark teas require further oxidation and this by and large happens in a dim live with a controlled atmosphere. Amid the procedure of aging, tea obtains a great deal of taste and fragrant mixes. The last advance in the essential creation of dark tea is drying the leaves. When an ideal dimension of oxidation is accomplished, the tea is warmed so as to anticipate further corruption. The last advancement of flavor occurs amid the drying stage, which must be executed in all respects cautiously and requires gifted work. As of now referenced, green and dark tea are delivered from a similar hedge. What makes green tea diverse is that it is steamed be- fore moving to completely devastate the action of chemicals and coun- teract enzymatic oxidation. Different strides of creation are comparative in the two cases (albeit green tea does not require the maturation step). Georgia has a bit of leeway in creating green tea as it isn’t important to depend on the shadowing of tea hedges a practice predominant all through Asia because of the raised dimensions of bright radiation in the region.

Tea Packaging and Dissemination

The packaging of tea is done both by hand and employing packaging lines in small- and medium-size companies, whereas large companies employ exclusively packaging lines. There are four types of tea pro- duced in Georgia: (1) loose tea in bulk, (2) loose tea in small boxes (packaged), (3) tea bricks (Agura tea) and (4) tea bags. Only black and green tea categories are produced in Georgia. Dissoluble tea ex- tracts/concentrates are also produced (by one company in Tsalenjikha). There are more and more companies that actively pursues branding and are trying to have well defined marketing strategy. Also, small-scale processors engage in branding through elaborate packaging and designs of tea boxes, although they have limited access to advertising and therefore fall short of informing consumers about their brands. Georgian tea is sold both locally and internationally. Quite a substantial part of locally produced tea is exported. This is mainly low- quality tea (loose tea in bulk and tea bricks). However, tea imports exceed exports by a substantial margin. The domestic market is dominated by imported tea.

Organic Cultivation: Existing Situation

As with other organic farm products, organic tea is produced using environmentally-friendly methods of cultivation. Instead of relying on hazardous chemicals that damage the environment and can remain be- hind on the finished product, organic tea farmers use traditional, natural methods of pest and weed control. The result is an organic tea estate that works with the surrounding ecosystem to produce healthy, vibrant crops and strong, flavorful teas. And, of course, organic teas aren’t just good for the environment—they’re also good for anyone who wants to enjoy the health benefits of a cup of tea while keeping chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides out of their cup.

Since 2007, Georgia started developing / restoring organic tea plantations. Equipping Georgian growers with modern equipment and providing them with new technologies. The first batch of high-quality tea, manufactured in Georgia, was successfully exported to Ukraine in 2010. Today there are more and more companies oriented on producing highest quality, organic only products. “GEORGIAN ORGANIC TEA PRO- DUCERS ASSOCIATION” was established by Bitadze LTD, pioneer in in- novations existing in Georgian tea. Purpose of this association is to unite all organic tea producing companies or families to help them co- operate together, creating new kinds of tea products, share each oth- ers experience, gives guidance to produce high quality tea and etc. The association is the member of IFOAM FiBL-’+ (IFOAM – International Federation Of Organic Agriculture movements, FiBL – Research insti- tute of Organic agriculture). "Organic Tea Producers Association of Georgia" has successful achievements in terms of creation of Georgian tea varieties. Georgian tea standardization, restoration and rebuilding of new plantations.

Georgian tea breeds Increases the recognition of Georgian tea and raising the reputation in the world through participating in international Tea forums and championships, has opened a private tea museum and school. Since 2006, "Organic Tea Producers Association of Georgia" has been working on the tea plant taking care of the desired varieties. After searching throughout the territory of Georgia, one plant was selected, the most common of which was the presence of antioxidant color (leaf color), ie pigment antioxidant (red, purple, violet). Precise trained pens have been taken. We now have a mother plant and frac- tured pens taken from the spring of 2018 in the open ground and we will have a mother plantation, which is the "Georgian purple tea" industrial purpose, mono plantations or wild gardens. The concept of the tea wild gardens and the type of its arrangement, is developed by the Association. The Association is implementing the processing of organic fertilizer technology on the base of tea, which will allow us to completely eliminate the use of mineral and other fertilizers, along with arrangement of tea wild gardens.

The organic tea producers in Georgia are relying on old farming methods and agricultural practices that create quality leaves without the application of noxious chemicals. Organic tea processing is also done by traditional methods using the tea leaves from the organic tea estate. Every leaf is picked by hand, and the leaves that will be used to produce the organic tea are dried under the sun to craft a distinctive taste and flavor. Companies are producing organic tea species certified in accordance with, “GREEN CAUCASUS "- bio standards.



International Market

The demand of organic and value-added tea is increasing around the world, which opens a new avenue for Georgian producers. European Union and US, are the potential markets for Georgia. “In selecting a tea brand from export markets, retailers are choosing a country where they get organic and premium quality tea. Georgia is a member of the WTO. It also has some preferential trade relationships with the EU (DCFTA), CIS countries and Turkey. Georgia has General Schemes of Preference (GSP) with the US, Norway, Switzerland, Canada, and Japan. Additionally, country has a free trade agreement with European Free Trade Association countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) are. Chinese investments are part of the "Beijing Silk Road", which already includes real estate and railway sectors. Tea trade became part of the free trade agreement of 2017. China agrees to help the tea industry in Georgia and increase its production boom. According to the new agreement, Chinese company does not pay taxes when importing tea from Georgia to China. Despite these developments, there are some worries from producers that bilateral free trade agreements may lead to more competition. Infrastructure for sea, ground, and air transportation is generally quite developed in Georgia, so in theory there should be few logistical barriers to exporting Georgian tea.

Research and Innovation

There is still a tea research institute in Anaseuli, which is openly approached by the tea stakeholders. Today institute is functioning under private Agrarian University. Institute has been functioning since 1930. Its multi profile researches have been the base of producing high and stable harvest of tea, citrus and subtropical fruit culture in the most southern subtropics and developing recycling industry.

Main directions of research

• Development of frost resistant, immune, high productive forms and breeds of subtropical fruits and their seedlings (citruses, kiwi, peihoa, subtropical persimmon); elaboration of their nursing technologies.

• Development of high quality and high productive Georgian selective varieties of tea. Their biochemical and technological research to receive other kinds of products.

• Elaborating the intervention methods related to integrative resistance of subtropical crops against harmful organisms through maintaining ecologically pure biocenosis; phytosanitary research of the subtropical zone to identify existing biodiversity.

• Developing intensive technologies of breeding, laying out and nursing for tea, citruses and other subtropical crops.

• Perfection of fertilization system of subtropical crops through considering soil fertility, biological characteristics of plants and environmental issues. Study influence of involvement of fertilizer nitro- gen in soil nitrogen mineral and organ mass.

• Using local plant, tea and citrus raw material to research and develop technological parameters and technical capacities for producing high quality food and dietary-preventive products, having biological activity.

Despite some achievements, there is still urgent need in strong tea re- search organization/institute oriented on transfer modern knowledge, technologies and innovations. It could be much efficient if such organisation would be functioning under ministry of agriculture and would be financed by the state. The institutes’ major mission should be im- proving the productivity and profitability of the whole tea industry, collaborating with all stakeholders. All stakeholders should be in- volved in defining its research priorities and in ensuring that the re- search programs are demand driven and client oriented. Very productive would be engaging European Union Delegation representative in the board. Research programs could consist of: crop improvement, crop water management, soil fertility management and technology transfer. Research on water and fertilizer use, and clonal evaluation should be conducted in laboratories and field trials. A state-of-the-art soil and plant analytical laboratory should be functioning and may provide analytical services on a commercial basis. Institutes research should be geared towards solving practical problems facing growers. Developing institute in this way will greatly contribute to the development and promotion of technologies that lead to increases in the productivity and profitability of tea particularly from smallholders and hence to improve the livelihood of rural people especially women.

Conclusion

For some reason, tea is not regarded as a part of Georgian culture. But on the other hand just recently we have celebrated 170th anniversary of Georgian tea. Georgia is the northernmost country in industrial pro- duction of tea, which is a high-quality guarantee. Georgian tea development has a great potential. There are all conditions: good soil, wa- ter, climate, etc. Georgian tea has a chance to establish a distinctive place among the world’s most famous teas. Georgia is the northernmost tea industry with the potential to produce high quality tea. Georgia has an isolated and original ecosystem. Tea production Western Georgian territory is bounded by mountain systems and from the west by the Black Sea. The rivers running from the mountains, enrich soil with in minerals. The pool of the rivers of Western Georgia is on the entire length of Georgia, which enables ecological management. Moreover, the presence of glaciers, coverage of the tea plantations with the snow and their natural supply with fresh water, does not require protection against diseases and chemical protection. Tea plantations do not re- quire irrigation. All of the mentioned above is a solid foundation for organic tea production on the whole territory of Western Georgia, without exception.

"Georgia has a potential for bio-tea production. This is the northernmost tea production point. Hence, the risk of disease from insects is inseparable, so the use of pesticides may be minimal or not at all. Therefore, organic tea production acquires a certain potential. Countries like Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Baltic countries; these are the trends in Europe where we should think about exporting a Georgian tea brand. " The best model for the development of Georgian tea is the transition to bio production: "There should be a legislative basis in Georgia to prohibit the use of poisonous chemicals or nonorganic products in the tea industry. Bio Tea is deficient in the world and if we produce it, it will be quite competitive. We can compete even with Chinese high-quality tea. "

The Government of Georgian along with the Georgian Tea Association would have to take steps in order to boost the competitiveness and quality of Georgian tea worldwide. The industry needs to be competitive in production, marketing, logistics and product forms. Georgia lacks properly organized production systems in which small tea producers find a respectable place. The industry must have access to capital at globally competitive rates. The first step in that direction is a complete restructuring of the tea industry, redefining the roles of various agencies and developing a healthy partnership with the labour.

Investments in plantations and manufacturing machines must come from the industry with the subsidy from the Government. Also rent and tax exemptions can be used as indirect subsidies. Rehabilitation of old soviet time tea plantations is urgent. The process will be successful only in the case if the state-owned plantations will be transferred to private companies, farmers, cooperatives, etc. without any charge, but with the responsibility to re-cultivate existing plantations.

Finding the ways to satisfy the demand for raw material by large and medium factories, which could be reached by the stronger partnerships between small farmers and factories. The reforms in lending policies of the banks are urgent. The tea plantation sector needs huge infusion of capital. The Government will have to hold the hands of the small-scale tea producers until they can be organized on efficient lines. Government and private companies have to promote Georgian tea worldwide, including bringing Georgian tea producers to international exhibitions and tea-related events.

Totally excluding mixing imported law quality raw material with local product and selling it under the brand of Georgian Tea. The Knowledge gap of farmers and lack of tea industry specialists is ev- ident in the country. In order to successfully develop the industry, the new generation of specialists should be raised, as well as equipping the old generation with the modern trends and knowledge. The goal can be achieved through inviting the specialists from reach tea culture and successful industry countries like China to teach and share the experience with local tea industry representatives. World tea production currently relies on low cost labour; in Georgia, advanced technologies will have to be deployed to address such issue. We consider that robotics and photonics technologies are enablers to perform automated plucking and processing of tea leaves. The deployment of best practices for environment friendly cultivation, harvest and processing; The development of innovating technologies for cultivation, harvest and processing; The development of environment friendly tourism on the sites where tea is cultivated.