Iraq loses more than 2 million tons of wheat due to water scarcity

Shafaq News/ The head of the Federation of Farmers’ Associations, Haidar al-Abadi, said that water scarcity has resulted in a lack of wheat crops.

 Al-Abadi told Shafaq News Agency, “We have lost more than two million tons of wheat crop due to lack of water and non-payment of farmers’ dues,” noting that the country’s production was supposed to reach 6 million tons.

 According to the Ministry of Trade figures, Iraq’s production reached 4.539 million tons of local wheat in the current season, achieving self-sufficiency for the third year in a row.

To reach self-sufficiency, Iraq needs 4.2 million tons annually, in addition to one million tons imported to improve the quality by mixing it with local wheat.

“The next season will witness a clear shortage in the production of crops,” noting, “the water file in Iraq is managed in a bad way.”

Shafaq.com

Tags: crop, Al-Abadi, wheat