August 2, 2006

US confident of maintaining Iraq wheat market

Iraq, once a solid customer for Australian wheat, is now America's fourth largest wheat customer and that relationship is likely to grow further, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, in Baghdad for farm co-operation meetings, said this week.

The US now has 72 percent of the market share, he revealed.

500,000 tonnes of US wheat were exported to Iraq the last marketing year, before allegations of illegal AWB kickbacks to Iraq forced a cut-off of shipments, which allowed US wheat imports to soar and fill the gap.