Abstract only

The world experience has proved that grain production holds the leading role in the economy of every country. As per the data for 2000 the total world production of cereal grain amounted to 2049.4 million tons, in which the greatest share came on China (20.0%), USA (16.8) and India (11.7). In grain yield the first place was held by Egypt -74.9 c/ha, the second by France -72.6 c/ha and the third by Great Britain -71.7 c/ha. Among the grain producing countries Georgia holds one of the last places with gross production of 420 thousand tons and average yield of 13.4 c/ha. The highest level of grain production in Georgia in recent 50 years was recorded in 1997 and amounted to 901.9 thousand tons. During 1950-2000 the tendency of reduction of the grain crop area was observed in Georgia, while the pasture area increased from 1463.0 thousand to 1797.2 thousand hectares and the perennial crop area from 252.8 thousand to 270.1 thousand hectares. Unfortunately, during the same period production of grain decreased from 796.0 thousand to 420.5 thousand tons and grain yield varied within 10.2-13.0 centners per ha. The main reason of reduction of the grain crop area and decrease in grain yield was unreasonable expansion of perennial plantings from agricultural slopes and gradients of southern exposition to flatlands instead of uprooting of the low-production plantations and their replacement with the new productive planting. The above described tendency was maintained during many years at flatlands, once giving satis- factory grain crops. As a result, 60% of the lands allocated for grain crops belong to the risky ag- ricultural production area. Research proved that soils in many regions of Georgia are characterized with negative nutrition balance. The main problems of introduction of high- input production and crop management technologies in grain cultivation, underestimation of the necessity of soil melioration measures, application of high quality seeding material and crop rotation still remain unsolved. Since 90-ties of the recent century extensive grain production was started provisioning low productivity and high labor and material costs of grain weight unit. One of the factors restricting the growth of grain production in the country is also an indigested sale price, whereas the increased grain import provoked negligence towards the domestic production. In 2000 from 1532 thousand tons of grain resources only 420 thousand tons (27%) were of the local production and the import reached 863 thousand tons (56.3%). Grain reserves for the beginning of the year made 249 thousand tons i.e. 16.3%. 869 thousand tons or 56.7% of the above grain resources were used for food, 315 thousand tons (20.5%) for forage and 52.5 thousand tons (3.5%) for seeding. The rates of grain self-reliance in 1995 and 2000 were 36% and 33% correspondingly. In 1995 per capita consumption of grain was 165 kg (converted to wheat f1our) or 1392 kcal per day and in 2000 146 kg or 1260 kcal per day. This situation triggered high rate of grain import (56.3%). Successful solution of the grain production problem will be significantly fostered by the State Targeted Program for the Grain Production and Processing, developed by the scientific institutes associated under the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. According to this program annual production of 3.5 million tons of grain based on optimal grain yield of 26 c per ha (1988) is required for the satisfaction of the domestic demand. This grain yield requires cultivation of 1.1 million ha of the land area. Provision of such area is impossible even on condition of total uprooting of perennial plants together with allocation of total pasturelands for grain production. However, potential for increase of grain production undoubtedly exists in Georgia. It should be mentioned that land privatization, despite of its positive role, caused further frag- mentation of close-contoured land parcels, com- plicating their effective utilization. Therefore, the most important task nowadays is consolidation of land parcels in farms through cooperation and development of farming infrastructure.

English

0409|AGRIS 0401|AL-Wheat Program

Juan Carlos Mendieta

CIMMYT Publications Collection