2025 was a significant year for Walnuts.ge in both quality and production volume. The company’s walnut orchards are gradually entering full maturity, and in 2026 the focus will turn to expanding processing infrastructure and improving operational efficiency. 

According to Walnuts.ge’s Marketing and Quality Manager, Gio Kadaria, the company plans to open a new facility this autumn that will be the largest walnut processing factory in the European Union and Caucasus region.  

•⁠  Walnuts.ge started cultivating walnut orchards in 2017. Are the orchards currently in full fruiting, and in general, how would you assess the 2025 harvest in terms of quantity and quality? 

— indeed, Walnuts.ge began planting its orchards in 2017. Some of the trees are expected to reach full bearing in 2026, while the remainder will come into production from 2028 onward. In 2025 the orchards produced a total of 430 tonnes of walnuts, including 40 tonnes of Howard variety and 290 tonnes of the Chandler variety. 

•⁠  ⁠Do you plan to increase the area of ​​orchards in 2026, or will the focus be only on bringing the existing orchards to peak yield? In case of increase, will you still consider the Kakheti region? 

— There are no plans to increase the number of plantations by 2026, however, attention will be paid to increasing the technology, scale of the walnut processing plant, and service productivity. In the future, if the company decides to continue cultivating orchards, it will definitely remain loyal to the lands of Kakheti. 

•⁠  Was your production line (washing/drying/sorting) fully loaded in 2025? 

In 2025 the company’s processing line — including drying, cracking, and grading — was only 30 % utilized, due largely to the orchards not yet being fully productive and the factory’s high capacity of 100 tonnes (dry weight) per day. 

Walnuts.ge has introduced advanced technologies that have significantly improved processing quality, reduced costs, and increased control over orchard care, harvesting, and processing. The company now manages production from orchard to final product, with transparent operations that build trust with buyers. 

•⁠ In the perspective of 2025, what impact has biodynamic farming and the use of own fertilizer (Ecocompost) had on the cost of production and soil sustainability? 

- As you know, our company has been engaged in the construction of a zero-waste production cycle for the fourth year, which is as necessary as oxygen and is an important useful additive, both in reducing waste in the process and in the health of the soil, plants and fruits. The production and compost application into the orchards (if you want, call it eco-bio compost) first of all enriched the plant, because a constantly available network of necessary nutrient minerals was created in its roots, the humus layer for the soil increased, and the percentage of moisture losses decreased, which significantly reduces the amount of watering during the drought months of Kakheti and creates additional savings. At the same time, it created a major value - it reduced the use of synthetic fertilizers by 80%, which makes Walnuts.ge’s walnuts the cleanest and healthiest product on the Georgian market next to the organic ones. 

•⁠ How does the fact that the company has its own processing infrastructure affect the final cost of the product and to what extent have losses been reduced by optimizing the technological cycle? 

__ We must admit that the certified walnuts we packed beautifully and supplied in 2024-25 exceeded expectations, and not only in Georgia. It is noteworthy that immediately after their appearance on the market, a wave of demand arose, which we were happy to satisfy. We are pleased with the fact that Georgian buyers, whether wholesale or retail, are already demanding quality and guarantees for it, which is confirmed by the sales rate of walnuts delivered in packaging, which is supported by buyer / consumer retention rates. 

This has also increased reliability, because from purchase to purchase, our company's conscientious approach and commitment to quality have been repeatedly verified. This is also helped by the fact that consumers can follow the care and processing of walnut orchards throughout the year through social networks. Because both of these cycles belong to the same company and everything is transparent to the interested party, trust is further strengthened. 

• Which international markets were you focusing on in 2025? Are the EU countries or the Gulf region your main targets for 2026? 

- Last year, the focus was mainly on satisfying demand of the Georgian market, because the primary task of our company is to create “quality and Georgian - for Georgians”, and exporting our products to other countries is considered more for the popularization of Georgian walnuts and future plans. 2025 was limited to cooperation with two EU countries in this regard - Italy and Germany. Of these, we also cooperated with the largest company in Italy, and the demand from them has not stopped; on the contrary, there is a lot of interest in long-term and high-volume cooperation. 

We have not yet entered the Persian Gulf, however, with the help of “Entreprise Georgia” and “TRADE WITH GEORGIA” and their great efforts, entrepreneurs and farmers are given the opportunity to attend the world's largest export exhibitions for free or with a large financial support. This is exactly what the GULFOOD DUBAI exhibition, to be held in Dubai at the end of January 2026, will be like, where those interested will have the opportunity to visit the WALNUTS.GE stand (South Hall 4 - Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City) from January 26 to January 30, where we will be happy to tell you about our products and Georgia. 

• You are actively working on direct sales. What is the demand and in which cities do you have the highest sales locally? 

- The highest sales rate across Georgia is, of course, Tbilisi  65-75%. The remaining 25-35% is distributed almost equally among the other regions and cities, of which Imereti consumes the most. 

• Do you plan to produce other products derived from walnuts in 2026? 

- Yes, we have big plans for 2026. First of all, we will let you in on a big secret: on September 15, we will have a grand opening of a new enterprise. This will be the largest walnut processing plant in the Europe and Transcaucasia, with a total area of ​​30,000 square meters. Of this, 10,000 square meters will be entirely devoted to walnut washing, drying, calibration and packaging. 

For this, we have purchased the best machinery and equipment manufactured in Europe, which the company OBREO INGENIERIA will manufacture and install in our factory. Also this year, we will import the best walnut cracking and sorting equipment in the world, which the American manufacturer JESEE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING will manufacture and install.  

All this puts Walnuts.ge under the world's attention as a producer and processor of dried fruits. This means that from the end of 2026 we will be able to supply shelled-sorted walnuts to the Georgian market. We will offer customers packages of various weights and the opportunity to purchase them in the Georgian supermarket chain. The best Italian equipment VAI PACKAGING is used in this process, which will arrive and be put into production in the near future.  

Of course, everything will be carried out with an ecological approach and the factory will be completely powered by electricity generated by solar panels.  

Perhaps the most important thing is that a common benefit is created. From the end of 2026, our company will be ready to serve various farmers and help them process the walnuts they grow. As you know, due to insufficient processing, walnut producers have to go through many difficulties, and often, due to delayed processes, first the quality deteriorates, and then the income from sales decreases. 

As a form of support, we offer walnut entrepreneurs assistance in organizing the storage of processed walnuts and their purchase or sale. We hope that, God willing, there will be peace in Georgia and the world, and the development and economic progress of Georgian entrepreneurs will continue uninterruptedly, which will again benefit our compatriots. 

• If so, what is the amount of investment you have made to date in the success of the project and what are your plans in this direction?  

- A total of up to 50 million GEL has been invested in the activities implemented and planned from 2017 to the end of 2026. 

• As one of the largest producers in the country, how has your positioning in the local market changed in the past year and how much has trust in Georgian walnuts increased? 

- In Georgia and its markets, the company WALNUTS.GE is currently an uncompromising leader in terms of quality and delivery mechanisms, and after the official and grand opening of the factory on September 15, 2026, this position will be further strengthened as the volume of production, variety of products and services increases. 

We would also like to point out that interested parties, supermarket chains, farmers, private lables, purchasing managers, exporter-distributors, and others should contact us in advance to schedule their desired purchases, services, or other types of cooperation.