Archive · 18 Jul 2025
Georgia's Tea Industry Seeks Revival After Soviet Union Collapse
Georgia used to be famous for its tea, especially during the Soviet Union days.
The country had special places to grow tea and make it.
When the Soviet Union ended, the tea business went downhill.
People couldn't sell their tea because of cheap imports and because the economy was in bad shape.
Factories closed and tea fields turned into jungles.
Now, some people are trying to bring the tea business back to life by growing high-quality tea to sell to new buyers.
Georgia's tea industry, once a major supplier for the Soviet Union, collapsed after the Soviet Union's fall in 1991.
The collapse opened the market to cheaper Asian imports and led to the shutdown of tea factories.
By 2016, production declined 99% from its 1985 peak due to economic struggles.
Local efforts are underway to revive the industry, with new companies rehabilitating plantations.
These companies aim to reinvent Georgian tea as a high-quality product for local and European buyers.
- Who
- Tea growers in Georgia and new companies like GreenGold Tea.
- What
- Efforts to revive Georgia's tea industry after its collapse following the fall of the Soviet Union.
- When
- The industry collapsed after 1991, and efforts to revive it began about ten years ago.
- Where
- Guria region of Georgia.
- Why
- To re-establish the tea industry after its decline due to the end of the Soviet Union and to produce high-quality tea.
Old Methods
New Era
Production Focus
Old Methods
Soviet-era tea production prioritized quantity.
New Era
Modern tea production focuses on quality.
- Industry Collapse
- Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991
- Peak Production
- 1985
- Production Decline
- 99% by 2016 from 1985 peak
- Current Goal
- Reinvent Georgian tea as a high-quality product
- Location
- Guria, Georgia