Speaker attends Alooba 2026 Festival 

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili attended the “Alooba 2026” festival in the Kakheti region, dedicated to Georgia’s traditions of wheat cultivation and bread-making.

Papuashvili was joined by Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Davit Songulashvili, Minister of Regional Development Kakhaber Guledani, Dedoplistskaro Mayor Nikoloz Janiashvili, and members of parliament.

During the visit, the parliamentary speaker observed the wheat harvest in the Shiraki Plain in Dedoplistskaro Municipality.

Speaking at the event, Papuashvili said the festival, first held last year, has expanded significantly and should become a permanent national celebration alongside the traditional grape harvest festival, Rtveli.

“Georgia is the homeland of both grapes and wheat. Recent research published in the journal of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences has definitively confirmed that, alongside Georgia’s 8,000-year-old winemaking tradition, the country is also one of the centers of wheat cultivation,” Papuashvili said.

He noted that Georgia possesses unique wheat varieties, including five endemic species, and said that 17 of the world’s 24 cultivated wheat varieties are found in the country.

“For thousands of years, wine and wheat—wine and bread—have been defining elements of our culture. Therefore, beyond their agricultural significance, it is essential that we recognize them as an integral part of our cultural identity,” Papuashvili said.