Iraq gets wheat output surplus for the first time

The spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture, Mohammed Al-Khazai, revealed on Monday that Iraq hit a wheat production surplus for the first time, with 6.4 million tons produced.

In a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Al-Khazai explained that Iraq exports 13 different crops to several countries.

The Gulf nations have emerged as a significant market for Iraqi agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, dates, and fodder, according to Al-Khazai.

Through agreements with local and foreign companies, the Iraqi ministry intends to help the agriculture sector by completing the transition to a modern irrigation technology system.

The agreements are expected to secure the acquisition of over 13,000 sprinklers with finances totaling over 830 billion dinars (approximately $633.6 million), according to Al-Khazai.

The Iraqi official noted that farmers and producers are interested in buying these sprinklers because of their advantages, which include lowering water usage and boosting land production by at least 50 percent.

Furthermore, given the changing climate around Iraq, the sprinklers will help create agricultural crop varieties that are suited to the country’s climate.

In July, the state company responsible for purchasing grain in Iraq announced that it bought 6.3 million tons, the most locally produced wheat ever recorded in its history.

The Iraqi Minister of Trade, Atheer Al-Ghurairy, said in March that Iraq has become self-sufficient and does not require the import of wheat to maintain its strategic stocks.

To meet its demands, Iraq has been importing wheat from the US, Canada, and Australia. But the increase in domestic production in recent years raises the possibility that Iraq will not need to import wheat as it previously did.

Tags: Production, wheat, stocks, Market, Iraq, exports, grain