The Association of Beekeepers of Georgia demands the government to provide subsidies to finance laboratory studies.
For Georgian products to enter the EU market, it is necessary to conduct laboratory analysis of honey samples.
The average cost of quality control of one sample is about 3,300 GEL, and it is too much for honey producers.
Association employee Aleko Papava says that the laboratory for honey quality control in Georgia does not yet operate, so the samples are sent to Germany or France.
"The verification of each sample costs the beekeeper about 700 GEL, and for export - 3300 GEL. Imagine how many examples you need to test and what a burden it is for honey producers. They promised to help us, but the pandemic prevented," Papava stated.
Notably, the officials of the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia planned a meeting with honey producers on March 12, but the discussion on beekeeping canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The Association of Beekeepers reports that over the past three years, hundreds of tonnes of unrealized stocks of honey accumulated in the country.
Bela Gelashvili
News Author