Georgia’s 2025 food self-sufficiency data shows a clear pattern: the country remains significantly dependent on imports in many basic food categories. Only two products – potatoes and grapes – exceed 100 percent self-sufficiency. This means that local production in these categories is higher than domestic use, while in most other key food groups Georgia still relies on imports to meet a substantial part of consumption.
BTU researchers assess that this data is not only a food-security signal. It is also a business map. It shows where local production can grow, where import substitution may be realistic, and where technology, cooperation, processing, cold chain and quality standards are needed.
The lowest self-sufficiency ratio is in wheat – 19 percent. This is a strategic risk, but expanding wheat production is not simple. It requires land, higher yields, quality seeds, machinery, irrigation, storage and predictable policy. Wheat is therefore the most strategic category, but not necessarily the easiest investment opportunity.
Faster business opportunities are more visible in categories where the deficit is large and the production system can be strengthened more practically: poultry meat, vegetables, pork, milk and dairy products, as well as maize and animal-feed value chains. At the same time, potatoes and grapes are already surplus categories, where the main opportunity is not volume growth but processing, storage, branding and export.
The central question is: where should Georgia invest knowledge, technology and capital so that import dependence declines systematically rather than temporarily?
Full shelves do not always mean local production
A consumer enters a store and sees products: bread, chicken, milk, vegetables, cheese, meat, eggs and potatoes. The shelf is full, but this does not mean the country produces enough of these products locally. In some categories, a large part of what is on the shelf depends on imports – either as raw material, finished product, animal feed or processed ingredients.
This difference is not always visible in daily life, but it becomes clear during shocks. If global prices rise, logistics are disrupted or a supplier country faces a problem, import-dependent products become more vulnerable in terms of price and availability.
That is why self-sufficiency data is not just statistics. It shows which products need stronger domestic production, where new business can emerge and where the largest economic risks are located.
What the self-sufficiency ratio means
The self-sufficiency ratio shows how much of domestic use is covered by local production. If the ratio is above 100 percent, the country produces more than it uses domestically. If the ratio is below 100 percent, part of domestic use is covered by imports.
But the indicator must be interpreted carefully. Low self-sufficiency does not always mean that local production can grow quickly. Some products require large land resources, water, machinery and scale. Others require biosecurity, cold chain, quality control and certification. Others need consumer trust and stable branding.
BTU researchers assess that production opportunities should be evaluated through three questions: how large is the import dependence, how realistic is local production growth, and how much value can be added through processing, packaging, branding and export.
Georgia’s 2025 self-sufficiency picture
According to 2025 data, self-sufficiency ratios are as follows:
wheat – 19 percent;
maize – 78 percent;
potatoes – 139 percent;
vegetables – 48 percent;
grapes – 158 percent;
beef – 72 percent;
pork – 52 percent;
sheep and goat meat – 98 percent;
poultry meat – 30 percent;
milk and dairy products – 68 percent;
eggs – 98 percent.
This creates three groups.
The first group includes high-deficit products: wheat, poultry meat, vegetables, pork, milk and dairy products. These categories offer the largest space for expanding local production.
The second group includes partially balanced products: maize, beef, eggs, and sheep and goat meat. Here, the goal may be not only more production, but also better quality, efficiency and processing.
The third group includes surplus products: potatoes and grapes. Here, the key question is not “How do we produce more?” but “How do we sell better, store better, process better and export at higher value?”
- Wheat: the most strategic but most difficult opportunity
Wheat self-sufficiency stands at 19 percent. This is Georgia’s most important food-security risk because wheat and bread products are part of everyday consumption.
However, increasing local wheat production is not easy. It requires large areas, higher yields, quality seeds, modern machinery, soil management, irrigation, storage and a stable price mechanism. If the country focuses only on expanding area without improving yield and quality, the result will remain limited.
The most realistic goal in wheat may not be full self-sufficiency, but a higher strategic minimum: gradual growth of local production, a quality seed system, technological support for farmers, grain storage and better management of strategic reserves.
Business opportunities exist in seed production, grain storage, machinery services, soil analysis, precision agriculture technologies and farmer cooperation.
- Poultry meat: the fastest industrial opportunity
Poultry meat self-sufficiency is 30 percent. This means that a large part of domestic demand is covered by imports. At the same time, poultry production is relatively industrial and scalable compared with many other agricultural categories.
Georgia’s opportunity is significant, but it will not be solved only by building farms. The poultry sector requires a stable feed base, veterinary control, biosecurity, modern production infrastructure, processing, packaging, cold chain and stable connections with retail networks.
Expanding local poultry production also matters because it is directly linked to the animal-feed market. If chicken production grows, demand increases for maize, soy, feed mixtures, veterinary services and logistics. This creates several business opportunities across one value chain.
BTU researchers assess poultry meat as one of the most practical import-substitution directions, if investment is made not only in farms but in the full value chain.
- Vegetables: a large but seasonal production space
Vegetable self-sufficiency is 48 percent. This means that Georgia covers a significant part of vegetable consumption through imports. At the same time, local vegetable production can produce relatively quick effects, especially if greenhouses, storage, processing and regional supply systems are developed.
The main challenge is seasonality. If production depends mainly on open fields and a short season, imports will remain necessary for much of the year. The opportunity is therefore not only to grow more vegetables, but to build year-round supply capacity.
Georgia needs modern greenhouses, efficient water use, certified seedlings, cold chain, regional logistics, small-scale processing and quality standards. Business opportunities include tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, herbs, frozen vegetables, cut and packaged products for HoReCa and retail chains.
Vegetables are one of the categories where local production can directly reduce price volatility and improve consumer access.
- Pork: import substitution under biosecurity conditions
Pork self-sufficiency is 52 percent. This means that almost half of the market depends on imports. For Georgia, this is an important opportunity, but the sector requires strong biosecurity.
The main risks in pork production are disease, feed costs, veterinary control, fragmented small farms and lack of standardized quality. If the sector is not technologically and veterinary-secure, production growth can quickly turn into losses.
Opportunities exist in medium-sized standardized farms, local feed production, processing, branded meat products and regional supply networks. Traceability and food safety are especially important because consumer trust is decisive in meat categories.
- Milk and dairy products: the broadest rural economic opportunity
Milk and dairy self-sufficiency is 68 percent, down from 74 percent in 2024. This means that the local share is falling or imports are increasing.
The dairy sector is especially important for Georgia because it is connected to many regions, small farmers, family farms and processing. However, the problem is often not only milk volume, but also quality, collection, cooling, standardization and processing efficiency.
There is strong potential in milk collection points, cold chain, quality laboratories, animal productivity, feed improvement, farmer cooperation and higher-value dairy products.
Georgian cheese is a strong cultural product, but modern markets require standards, packaging, traceability, stable quality and export readiness.
- Maize: not only a food crop, but the base of animal feed
Maize self-sufficiency is 78 percent. At first glance, this is not a very low figure, but maize should not be viewed only as food for human consumption. It is also important for animal feed – poultry, pork, beef and dairy.
If Georgia plans to increase poultry, pork and dairy production, it needs a stronger feed base. This means better maize, feed mixtures, storage, quality control and stable supply for farmers.
Maize production should be seen not as a separate crop, but as a foundation for local animal-protein production.
- Beef: efficiency matters more than volume alone
Beef self-sufficiency is 72 percent. This is not the lowest ratio, but the sector has significant potential to improve efficiency.
Georgia’s main challenges often include low productivity, fragmented farms, insufficient feed quality, livestock management, processing standards and unstable supply.
The opportunity lies not simply in increasing cattle numbers, but in fattening farms, genetics improvement, feed quality, meat processing, branding and standardized supply chains.
- Eggs, sheep and goat meat: nearly balanced categories
Egg self-sufficiency is 98 percent, and sheep and goat meat self-sufficiency is also 98 percent. In these categories, the main question is not import substitution, but quality, efficiency, exports and niche products.
In eggs, opportunities may exist in packaging, branded products, food safety and production efficiency.
In sheep and goat meat, opportunities are more connected to premium markets, tourism, HoReCa, export niches and regional branding.
- Potatoes and grapes: surplus production means processing opportunity
Potato self-sufficiency is 139 percent, and grape self-sufficiency is 158 percent. These products are not deficit categories. On the contrary, the main task is to use surplus production better.
In potatoes, opportunities exist in storage, chips, semi-finished products, frozen potatoes, restaurant supply and regional exports.
In grapes, much of the value is already created through wine, but additional opportunities exist in juice, concentrate, churchkhela, vinegar, grape-seed oil, cosmetic ingredients and tourism experiences.
High self-sufficiency does not mean the sector is complete. It means that the next stage of growth is beyond raw production.
Where the biggest production opportunities are
Based on self-sufficiency data, Georgia’s biggest production opportunities can be divided into three levels.
First level – strategic deficit:
wheat;
poultry meat.
Wheat is the core food-security risk, while poultry meat is one of the fastest scalable import-substitution opportunities.
Second level – fast agribusiness opportunity:
vegetables;
pork;
milk and dairy products;
maize as the feed base.
In these categories, stronger technology, infrastructure and cooperation can create relatively quick effects.
Third level – monetizing surplus production:
potatoes;
grapes;
eggs;
sheep and goat meat.
Here, the main task is processing, branding, packaging, export and higher-value products.
What business should do
Business should read self-sufficiency data as a market map. Where the ratio is low, there is space for import substitution. But investment decisions should not be based only on deficit. Land, water, feed base, logistics, labor, technology, regulation and buyer stability must also be assessed.
Poultry, vegetables, dairy, pork and feed maize are the most practical directions for businesses that want to create local-market products relatively quickly.
Wheat is more strategic and requires a long-term view, farmer cooperation, technological support and state participation.
In potatoes and grapes, investors should look not for area expansion alone, but for processing, packaging, storage and new markets.
What the state should do
For the state, the main task should be prioritization, not equal support for every product.
The first priority is wheat as a food-security issue.
The second priority is poultry and the animal-feed value chain as a fast industrial import-substitution opportunity.
The third priority is vegetables and dairy as directions for regional rural economies, employment and price stability.
The fourth priority is processing potatoes and grapes so that surplus production becomes higher-value output.
The state should strengthen irrigation, storage, cold chain, quality laboratories, farmer education, cooperation, data systems and food-safety standards.
BTUAI assessment
BTUAI assesses that Georgia’s 2025 self-sufficiency data is not only a picture of deficits. It is a map of production opportunities. The lower the self-sufficiency ratio and the more realistic local production growth is, the stronger the business opportunity becomes.
The main opportunities are visible in poultry meat, vegetables, dairy products, pork and the animal-feed value chain. These areas can support import substitution, regional employment and SME growth.
Wheat remains the most strategic product, but its development requires long-term policy and technological transformation. Potatoes and grapes show that high self-sufficiency does not automatically mean completed success – the next step is processing, export and higher-value products.
For Georgia, the right task is not to produce everything at once. The task is to select categories where deficit, technological feasibility and market demand meet. That is where the country’s largest agribusiness growth space exists.
Key findings
- In 2025, only two products in Georgia – potatoes and grapes – exceeded 100 percent self-sufficiency.
- Wheat has the lowest self-sufficiency ratio at 19 percent, creating a strategic food-security risk.
- Poultry meat, with 30 percent self-sufficiency, is one of the largest import-substitution opportunities.
- Vegetable self-sufficiency at 48 percent indicates opportunities in greenhouses, storage, processing and regional supply.
- Pork at 52 percent shows local production potential, but biosecurity is critical.
- Milk and dairy products fell to 68 percent, creating a major challenge for rural economies.
- Potatoes and grapes are surplus categories where the main opportunity is processing and export.
- In 2025, imports of food, food raw materials and beverages reached USD 2.2 billion, increasing the economic importance of import substitution.
Data and evidence base
2025 self-sufficiency ratios:
wheat – 19 percent;
maize – 78 percent;
potatoes – 139 percent;
vegetables – 48 percent;
grapes – 158 percent;
beef – 72 percent;
pork – 52 percent;
sheep and goat meat – 98 percent;
poultry meat – 30 percent;
milk and dairy products – 68 percent;
eggs – 98 percent.
Compared with 2024:
wheat declined from 22 percent to 19 percent;
maize declined from 79 percent to 78 percent;
potatoes increased from 107 percent to 139 percent;
vegetables declined from 49 percent to 48 percent;
grapes declined from 172 percent to 158 percent;
beef declined from 74 percent to 72 percent;
pork remained unchanged at 52 percent;
sheep and goat meat declined from 104 percent to 98 percent;
poultry meat remained unchanged at 30 percent;
milk and dairy products declined from 74 percent to 68 percent;
eggs increased from 97 percent to 98 percent.
Additional important data:
In 2025, Georgia’s imports of food products, food raw materials, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages reached USD 2.2 billion, a 20 percent annual increase.
Analytical production priorities:
Strategic deficit – wheat and poultry meat;
Fast agribusiness opportunity – vegetables, pork, milk and dairy products, maize as animal feed;
Monetizing surplus production – potatoes, grapes, eggs, sheep and goat meat.
Additional data Georgia should collect:
cost of production by product;
seasonal prices;
regional production potential;
land and water resources;
irrigation availability;
cold-chain capacity;
food-safety compliance;
import countries and prices;
local production quality indicators;
farmer cooperation levels.
Methodology
This report was prepared as part of BTUAI Research. The analysis is based on demographic, regional, economic and behavioral data, as well as general trends observed in publicly available sources. The materials are processed using analytical methods applied by BTU researchers, with the support of BTUAI.
The purpose of the research is not to provide personal assessments, but to identify broader trends and practical directions for business, education and society.
Limitations
This material is analytical and educational in nature. It does not constitute financial, investment, legal or tax advice. Before making a specific decision, consultation with a relevant specialist is recommended.
The self-sufficiency ratio shows the relationship between local production and domestic use, but it does not fully reflect investment difficulty. Any production decision requires additional analysis of land, water, costs, market prices, technology, logistics and food-safety requirements.
Sources
National Statistics Office of Georgia – food balance sheets and self-sufficiency ratios.
Updated 2025 food self-sufficiency data.
2025 food, food raw material and beverage import data.
BTUAI Research Team – analytical processing.
FAQ
What does the self-sufficiency ratio mean?
It shows how much of domestic use in a specific product is covered by local production.
Where are the biggest production opportunities?
The biggest opportunities are in poultry meat, vegetables, dairy products, pork and the animal-feed value chain. Wheat is the most strategic category, but harder to expand.
Why is wheat not the easiest opportunity if the ratio is only 19 percent?
Because wheat requires large land areas, higher yields, quality seeds, machinery, irrigation and long-term policy. A low ratio does not automatically mean an easy business opportunity.
What does more than 100 percent self-sufficiency in potatoes and grapes mean?
It means Georgia produces more than domestic use in these products. The main opportunity is processing, storage, branding and export, not only more production.
What should business do?
Business should assess not only the deficit, but also production costs, technology, logistics, market stability and added-value potential.
What should the state do?
The state should strengthen irrigation, storage, cold chain, farmer education, quality standards, data systems and priority import-substitution areas.
Keywords
food self-sufficiency Georgia; import substitution Georgia; agribusiness Georgia; food production opportunities Georgia; Georgian agriculture; poultry production Georgia; dairy Georgia; wheat Georgia; vegetable production Georgia; pork production Georgia; food security Georgia; cold chain; BTUAI; Business and Technology University.
Citation format
BTUAI Research Team. “Where Are Georgia’s Biggest Food Production Opportunities? What 2025 Self-Sufficiency Data Shows.” Business and Technology University, BTUAI.ge, 2026.
Authorship and BTUAI standard footer
Prepared by the academic team of Business and Technology University and the BTUAI Research Team.
Tbilisi, Georgia
BTUAI is an analytical platform of Business and Technology University that studies the impact of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, innovation, startup ecosystems, data analytics and emerging technologies on business, the economy, education and society. BTUAI materials are designed to explain complex technological and economic changes in a clear, reliable and Georgia-focused way.