On August 4, 2011 was held the meeting of the Georgian Government. The agenda included 75 items.
Before the meeting started, the Prime Minister, Nika Gilauri, gave the Cabinet of Ministers and the public a piece of news about inflation. We present Nika Gilauri's speech:
"Good day. According to the final inflation data of July, 12-month inflation amounted to 8.5% in that month. This is a very good figure. At the beginning of the year, one of the main macroeconomic problems was inflation. In April and May Inflation index reached 15%. Although, as we supposed, prices have dropped on international markets; the same have taken place in Georgia. Prices have been decreased on agricultural products which caused reducing inflation index to a one-figure number.
We suppose that the same will continue in August. At the beginning of the year, we predicted that inflation would take place in the first quarter and a significant part of the second quarter while the pressure would be reduced in summer. We assume that this will continue during the next months.
The second issue I would like to draw your attention to is the agricultural season. Autumn is coming and we are maximally preparing for vintage. We will have a very good harvest of grape, as well as fruit, wheat, maize.
We have very good results of programs which we have suggested to the public this year. I mean Maize and Wheat Programs.
I would like to ask Bakur to inform us about preparation for autumn. How the preparation for vintage is going on and what the harvest would be like this year?"
Bakur Kvezereli: "I would like to mention that prediction of harvest of grape has been finished. We are starting arrangements - adjustment of plants for vintage. Form August 22, several plants will be ready in order to reap harvest in several regions. This year, we have very good harvest in all directions: fruit, corn; we will have very good results with a view to macroeconomic parameters.
Reaping harvest is practically completed all over Georgia. Certain fields are left in Shida Kartli reaping of which will be completed in the next five days. Amount of wheat harvest has practically been specified - this amounts to 75 thousand tons within the country.
This amounted to 54 thousand tons last year. The result has grown by 20 tons this year. There will be a possibility to sow American high-yielding wheat, which will give 35% of locally produced wheat to use the next year that means at least USD 50 million reduction of corn import."
Nika Gilauri: "Not more than 15% of wheat used by our population was produced in Georgia. Our aim is to gradually increase this figure to 35%, next year - to 45%, then to more than 50%, during nearest 3-4 years. This is our aim and I think we are taking right steps towards this aim."
Bakur Kvezereli: "Harvesting technique is on the way together with maize and will arrive in the nearest days, which will cover the whole Georgia. Combines that will reap harvest of maize are very important to each producer. Drying facilities which are under construction in Lagodekhi and Abasha where the whole harvest from the whole Georgia will be gathered are already getting to the conclusive phase. We will have inauguration ceremony in several days."
Nika Gilauri: "We shall give this information to the public. Very many people have sown maize this year. Drying facilities are being constructed and be finished by September 15 in Lagodekhi and Abasha that will serve as maize export center from Georgia to foreign countries. We have not had this opportunity so far, we could not produce even as much as we used. Although, according to the figures of this year, we will become a maize exporting country."
Prime Minister Press-Service