The Georgian Berry

The Georgian Berry, established in 2017, is a women-owned, organically certified, berry farm operating on 7 hectares of farmland in the Marneuli district, part of the Kvemo Kartli region of southern Georgia. Growing organically certified raspberries and blackberries, Georgian Berry harvests its fresh, flavorful, sweet, and aromatic berries from early June through to late autumn.

Ideal for retailers and manufacturers catering to healthful lifestyles, all of their raspberries and blackberries are naturally low in calories and nutritionally rich in both vitamin C and dietary fiber. From a consumer perspective, they are ideal for snacking straight out of the carton or used in healthful and nutritious salads, smoothies, and even as eye-catching garnishes on ice cream, cakes and tarts.

From a production perspective, The Georgian Berry grows Killarney, Nova and Caroline raspberry varieties, all considered hardy, reliable, and ideal for the growing conditions in this part of Georgia. They are a brilliant red, sweet and flavorful fruit, well suited to sweet baked goods, preserves, and confectionery, and maintain their desirable qualities when frozen.

Their blackberries are Chester and Triple Crown, both highly productive varieties that yield large, jet black berries with a flavor best described as a tasty blend of both sweet and tart. As with raspberries, these juicy berries are healthy snacks, can be blended into beverages, used as a flavorful ingredient in tarts, pies, sauces, and spreads, and are ideal for freezing.

Yields for this year are estimated at 4 tonnes for raspberries and 6 tonnes for blackberries. With improvements in operations, the harvests in 2020 will triple, projecting yields of 12 tonnes for raspberries and 18 tonnes for blackberries.

In addition to their berries, The Georgian Berry is listed by the Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (ARDA) as a certified nursery for Triple Crown blackberry seedlings, allowing beneficiaries of the Plant the Future program to purchase plants. Of course, other farmers in the region looking to plant blackberries have access to these seedlings as well.

The Georgian Berry believes that organic agriculture is one of the most important aspects contributing to Georgia's environmental, social, and economic well-being. As such, they are the first berry producer in Georgia to hold a bio-certificate from IFOAM/Biocert International. They are an active member of the Georgian Berry Growers’ Association, work with other farmers interested in bio-production, and actively support the sales of organically certified products from neighboring farms.

With financial assistance from Produce in Georgia, they have established a cold storage facility on premise, creating an ideal environment for handling and storage of their organic blackberries and raspberries. Their freshly picked berries are subsequently packed in 175gr and 125gr clear vented containers respectively, all shipped in moisture-proof cardboard boxes.

With support from Georgian Agro House, a packing and distribution company specializing in Georgia-grown produce, their berries are being sold under the Planta brand in both Goodwill and Carrefour supermarkets. The company also maintains exports to Qatar and the Netherlands.