Georgia’s Potato Exports Collapse 75.5% to 19,400 Tonnes in January–September 2026
Georgia exported just 19,400 tonnes of potatoes worth US$5.1 million in January–September 2026, down 75.5% from 79,200 tonnes a year earlier, according to Geostat data reported by EastFruit — with imports also falling sharply.
Georgia’s potato trade has undergone a dramatic contraction. Between January and September 2026 the country exported 19,400 tonnes of potatoes worth US$5.1 million, compared with 79,200 tonnes valued at US$26.7 million during the same period in 2025, according to EastFruit, citing data from Georgia’s National Statistics Office (Geostat). Export volumes fell by 59,800 tonnes — approximately 75.5% — while export revenue dropped by US$21.6 million.
A shrinking destination map. Azerbaijan remained the main destination, importing 12,700 tonnes of Georgian potatoes worth US$2.4 million. Russia followed with 3,400 tonnes valued at US$1.4 million, and Belarus received 2,100 tonnes worth US$942,000. Additional shipments went to Armenia, Qatar and Iran, bringing the total number of export destinations to six. The concentration is striking: Azerbaijan alone absorbed nearly two-thirds of the remaining volume, and the top three buyers account for the overwhelming majority of a trade that has lost four-fifths of its tonnage in a single year. The presence of Qatar in the destination list — however small the tonnage — hints at traders testing longer-haul routes for Georgian or transit potatoes, a flow worth tracking if Gulf demand keeps firm.
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Imports down too. Potato imports also declined during the reporting period: Georgia brought in 4,000 tonnes valued at US$2.8 million, compared with 9,800 tonnes worth US$4.4 million a year earlier. Germany, Türkiye and the Netherlands were the main suppliers. Notably, the unit economics diverge sharply — imported potatoes carried an average value of roughly US$700 per tonne against about US$263 per tonne for exports, reflecting the different product mix: imported seed and early potatoes versus exported table stock.
What the data cannot yet explain. The simultaneous decline in imports and exports indicates changes in Georgia’s potato trade flows, but the available figures do not establish whether lower exports resulted from reduced harvest volumes, changes in domestic demand or other market conditions. If the 2026 Caucasus harvest was poor, re-export flows through Georgia — historically significant for regional supply — would have been squeezed; if domestic demand absorbed more of the crop, the export collapse would instead signal a price-driven reallocation. The distinction matters for Azerbaijan and Russia, both of which have counted on Georgian supply windows.
What to watch. Geostat’s full-year trade release in early 2027, and whether Georgia’s potato acreage data for 2026 (due from the same office) shows a planting contraction matching the trade collapse. A supply-side explanation would point to a multi-year rebuild; a demand-side one could reverse within a single season. Neighbouring markets should also watch the flip side: Georgia’s halved imports mean German, Turkish and Dutch seed suppliers lost a meaningful regional outlet this year, and whether those volumes return in the 2027 planting window will say much about growers’ confidence in the sector’s recovery.
Sources: FreshPlaza; UkrAgroConsult (both citing EastFruit / Geostat data).
