Georgia’s mountain organic tea will wow the market

2022, 07 June
გააზიარე
Imagine tea gardens 825 metres above sea level, close to a lake and surrounded by forests and mountains in the highland village of Mandaeti in western Georgia’s Imereti region. This is where Agro Culture+ grows its organic tea with a unique aroma and rich taste that are characteristic of only Georgia’s mountain tea.

Agro Culture+ started in 2018 by restoring an abandoned tea plantation with the help of Georgia’s state programme with the goal growing high-quality, organic tea of the kind exclusive to the mountain ecosystem. The region’s harsh climate acts as a major plus: the extremely cold winters protect the shrubs from diseases naturally, and the result is one of the best teas in all of Georgia. From Day One, Agro Culture+ was determined to maintain the high quality and rich taste of the tea, by rejecting pesticides and doing all the work manually.
Imagine tea gardens 825 metres above sea level, close to a lake and surrounded by forests and mountains in the highland village of Mandaeti in western Georgia’s Imereti region. This is where Agro Culture+ grows its organic tea with a unique aroma and rich taste that are characteristic of only Georgia’s mountain tea.

Agro Culture+ started in 2018 by restoring an abandoned tea plantation with the help of Georgia’s state programme with the goal growing high-quality, organic tea of the kind exclusive to the mountain ecosystem. The region’s harsh climate acts as a major plus: the extremely cold winters protect the shrubs from diseases naturally, and the result is one of the best teas in all of Georgia. From Day One, Agro Culture+ was determined to maintain the high quality and rich taste of the tea, by rejecting pesticides and doing all the work manually.

“You feel better inside, once you know that something you produce contains no toxic chemicals and is healthy,” says Giga Kiparoidze, founder of Agro Culture+.
The organic tea leaves are hand-picked, processed and packaged in a facility that was built with GRETAs support under the EU, Sweden and Austria co-financing. Agro Culture+ was able to also acquire the equipment necessary to increase its production: a tea roller, wilting, drying and packing machines, and a partial subsidy for bio certification.
“The support that donors have provided through GRETA project is crucial for us,” says Kiparoidze “We can see project supporting us not only financially but all the way through towards our goals. We are not left on our own halfway”
Kiparoidze believes that his company contributes greatly to the creation of jobs locally and reduction of migration from mountain villages. Today, 10 people work at Agro Culture+’s tea plantation, producing and handling tea leaves throughout the year. In the summertime, 25 people mostly women, harvest the tea. With the help workers, the company expects to harvest 4 tonnes of tea in September 2022. This is enough to start a new chapter in Agro Culture+’s life: sell their product in Georgia and export to Europe as well as in Asia.

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GRETA | Green Economy: Sustainable Mountain Tourism and Organic Agriculture in Georgia’ is supported by the European Union, Austria and Sweden, and is implemented in Georgia by the Austrian Development Agency. The project aims to facilitate the improvement of the business environment and increase opportunities for generating additional income for the Georgian economy in two important sectors, mountain tourism and organic agriculture. The project is implemented in close cooperation with the local government and involves the regions of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Racha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti and upper Imereti, where the entrepreneurs are involved from the municipalities of Mestia, Lentekhi, Tsageri, Oni, Ambrolauri, Sachkhere, Chiatura and Tkibuli. 

This material has been produced with the assistance of the European Union, Sweden and Austria in the frame of the GRETA project and with collaboration of the EU4Business umbrella programme. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the GRETA project and EU4Business umbrella programme and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union, Sweden and Austria.

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Georgia’s mountain organic tea will wow the market
Georgia’s mountain organic tea will wow the market
Georgia’s mountain organic tea will wow the market
Georgia’s mountain organic tea will wow the market