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Fruits become expensive after hail in Kakheti

Netgazeti reports that two weeks after the hail in Gurjaani, 2,450 hectares of agricultural land was damaged. Gurjaani Governor Akaki Osishvili says the exact amount of the damage is not yet known because the vineyards do not yet have grapes. He said it is mainly possible to count the damage on the lands with fruits and vegetables. The lands with strawberry fields received the greatest damage, while a couple of days after the natural disaster, strawberry, onion and early potato became more expensive on the market and super-markets in capital Tbilisi.

The May 14 hail affected several villages of Gurjaani, leaving almost 100% of its lands without any harvest. The residents of the villages have not yet received financial compensation. Davit Maghradze, who has sold fruits and vegetables for 5 years, says the disaster usually makes an impact on market prices. Giorgi Gogolashvili, resident of Kardenakhi village, cultivates strawberries on his own land. He said this year the harvest was better, while the hail left people without the relevant benefit.

According to the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure, the recent hail has caused damages totaling 392, 000 GEL. This amount has been already transferred to the Kakheti region, while the damage will be refunded to farmers as soon as the individual damage is calculated.