Georgia (Country)

Potato is an important food and commercial crop in Georgia, particularly in the country’s highland and southern agricultural areas. Production is concentrated mainly in Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli and Adjara, with Samtskhe-Javakheti consistently accounting for the largest share. The municipalities of Akhalkalaki, Ninotsminda and Akhaltsikhe, together with Tsalka, Dmanisi and other parts of Kvemo Kartli, are important production areas. The crop is well suited to Georgia’s diverse mountainous environments and potatoes are cultivated from lower elevations to highland areas.

Georgia's potato sector is dominated by fresh-market production, with potatoes forming an important part of the national diet. The crop is sometimes described locally as “second bread,” reflecting its importance as a staple food. Production has fluctuated considerably over the years: National Statistics Office data show production of about 234,700 tonnes in 2021, while FAO data cited for 2023 indicate approximately 197,300 tonnes harvested from 16,000 hectares, with average productivity of about 12.3 tonnes per hectare. Early potatoes from Kvemo Kartli can reach domestic markets from around May, while the main crop generally becomes available from September and can supply markets into the winter.

Varietal diversity in Georgia includes internationally introduced cultivars as well as locally adapted material. Commercial varieties such as Jelly, Marfona, Agria, Picasso and Sante are grown, while local material includes cultivars and landraces associated with regions such as Samtskhe-Javakheti and the Georgian highlands. Potato productivity remains constrained by seed quality, virus and disease accumulation, limited access to high-quality planting material and weaknesses in seed multiplication and storage. Research institutions and the International Potato Center (CIP) have therefore worked on improved germplasm, seed health, variety evaluation and farmer training. Since 2014, Georgia's Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture has also evaluated local and imported potato material, including CIP clones, for yield, disease resistance and adaptation to local conditions.

Potato is not native to Georgia; it originated in the Andes of South America and reached the Caucasus as an introduced crop. Historical sources differ somewhat on the precise date of its arrival in Georgia. Research on Georgian plant genetic resources places its introduction in the 19^th century, while historical accounts associate its establishment with German communities in the region during the early 1800s. One historical source records potato cultivation in Georgia by the 1820s, including around settlements of German colonists near Tbilisi. By 1913, potato cultivation in Georgia had reportedly expanded to about 6,800 hectares, indicating that the crop had already become established in the country's agricultural system.

During the Soviet period, potato production expanded and became increasingly important in several highland and southern regions. Dmanisi, Tsalka and Tetritskaro became major potato growing areas in Kvemo Kartli, while Samtskhe-Javakheti developed into the country's principal production zone. After independence, the sector faced problems with declining seed quality and the accumulation of viruses and other diseases in farmer-saved seed. From the 2010s onward, government institutions, development organizations and CIP increased efforts to strengthen the seed potato system, introduce improved germplasm and develop better seed-health practices. CIP began major work with Georgia's Ministry of Agriculture in 2016, including farmer training, disease management, variety evaluation and seed-system development; by 2019, trials had evaluated new genotypes for virus resistance and several CIP clones had been recommended to Georgian authorities.