Wheat quality issues

In his Christmas epistle Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II stated that certain parties are importing into Georgia low quality wheat. Independent experts agreed with this statement but the authorities have challenged it.

Opposition-minded analyst Niko Orvelashvili has stated that he agrees with the Patriarch that imported wheat is damaging the health of the population, and accuses not only the current Government but the Shevardnadze administration of doing this. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Aleksander Tsintsadze however announced that all imported wheat as well as other products are under strict controls. He did not challenge the Patriarch’s words and admitted that there could be some specific cases the Patriarch had in mind, but denied that such a problem exists on a significant scale.