The President of Georgia attended the presentation of bilberry industry support program in village Rukhi, Mengrelia. Bilberry plots substituted tea plantations in Mengrelia. This is a pilot project that is going on by the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture. The Minister of Agriculture visited Rukhi together with the President that familiarized the President with the technology of producing bilberries. As Bakur Kvezereli noted it is very important that Georgia would register as bilberry producing country in order for the investors to think about Georgia as desired country for starting this business. As the President said production of bilberries is pretty profitable for agriculture and local population, because the country would have a warrantied market for selling the products.

"Big part of teal plantation revived, but you cannot do anything with this one part. Marshlands were dried out and later the process started from the very beginning - this is why we chose the right way. The state must create standards of which direction of agriculture will be more profitable. We must start global thinking. Let's look around the world - for example Balkans produces this culture and one or two countries in Europe and Asia. Because of our climate conditions if bilberry grows in July we will collect it one-month prior to that. In this case we will have a warrantied market during many years and it means warrantied income for the local population. Besides this wild bilberries grow here in mountains. We use the dryers there in order to give people chance to collect them and have elementary income. This is exactly the agriculture. Probably you remember that during my annual speech at the Parliament of Georgia I had stated regarding investing money in agriculture. But one thing is boasting from the tribune of Parliament and another thing is coming here, planting and seeding this products. Everything is done what we said and we will finish everything, this promise will be fulfilled by all means and the local population will have the elementary income source. Of course nothing is more important for us", Mikheil Saakashvili stated.

The breeds of above-mentioned culture are planted on 5.7 hectares already and first harvest is expected in 2013. Bilberry plots will be cultivated in Guria and Adjara regions as well after Mengrelia.