Cheese produced in the highland region of Georgia Tusheti was sent for export to the United States. Interested in products and Israel, but so far farmers cannot meet the full demand for cheese made from the milk of sheep grazing in the meadows of alpine and subalpine zones of Georgia.
The farm-manufacturer and supplier of cheese belongs to a cooperative established by Georgian farmers two years ago. Within the framework of the project of the EU program “Development of agriculture and village”. The financing amounted to 130 thousand lari (about 57 thousand dollars).
The cooperative “Alaznistavi” itself is located in the same high-altitude town in Tusheti. Traditional cheese for this region, called “guda”, is made according to modern standards, but with the preservation of traditional manufacturing methods. It is prepared mainly from sheep's milk, and is considered one of the most expensive cheese varieties in Georgia.
The manager of the marketing and sales cooperative Georgy Abuladze said that, in addition to traditional species, almost lost methods of making cheese were restored by farmers. For example, a variety called “chogi”.
Abuladze says that for ripening the cheese mass is spread into a special sheepskin, which is quite expensive - about 15 lari (about 7 dollars). Leather bottle gives the necessary protection and temperature, to complete the process of cheese production.
“Consumers of cheese “guda” often complain that it has an unpleasant smell. In fact, this is not true; the main thing is to properly process the sheepskin. We try to comply with the standards as much as possible,” the manager of the cooperative said.
Annually «Alaznivasti» produces 6 tons of cheese. Half of the products are exported to the US; the other part is sold in the local market. The price of one kilogram of cheese depends on the grade - from 18 to 25 lari (from 8 to 11 dollars).
Farmers intend to expand production, so the demand for products is much higher than the amount of cheese produced. Perhaps soon the cooperative will be replenished with new members.
As Abuladze explained, individually each of the local farmers does not start a large herd, a maximum of one thousand heads, in the Tusheti mountains erosion of the soil and there is a risk of losing pastures.
