Iraq concludes 2025 wheat marketing season with over 6.5 million tons stored

Iraq’s General Company for Grain Trading, under the Ministry of Trade, announced on Sunday (July 20, 2025) the successful conclusion of the 2025 wheat marketing season. The country has secured a strategic reserve sufficient to meet domestic needs for over a year.

Haider Nour Al-Karaawi, Director General of the company, stated that the total quantity of wheat received up to July 19, 2025, the final day of the marketing season, reached 5.119 million tons. With an additional 1.4 million tons remaining from the previous year, Iraq’s current total strategic reserve stands at approximately 6.5 million tons.

Al-Karaawi emphasized that this volume provides enough wheat to cover local consumption, including the ration card system and emergency reserves, for a period of one year and four months. Despite the significant surplus, he noted that the current volatile regional situation prevents Iraq from considering exports.

All stored quantities are securely held in the company’s warehouses across all governorates, with some quantities already being moved to silos and mills for grinding in anticipation of the rainy season. Al-Karaawi assured that the wheat storage facilities are fully insured against incidents and fires, with no losses recorded this season. He highlighted 2025 as one of the most successful seasons due to the absence of storage fires, which had plagued previous seasons.

The successful harvest is attributed to the perseverance of Iraqi farmers, particularly their adoption of modern irrigation systems like sprinklers, despite climate challenges. Al-Karaawi noted that Iraq achieved high production this year, contrasting with significant declines in wheat production in other major producers such as Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Syria, which faced severe drought conditions. Wheat is considered one of Iraq’s most crucial crops and a primary contributor to its agricultural economy.

Tags: consumption, storage, strategic reserve, wheat, Iraq