July 11, 2023

 

Iraq's strategic wheat stock rose to five million tonnes

 

Iraq's Minister of Trade, Atheer Al-Ghurairy, stated on July 8 that the ministry increased the strategic stock of wheat to five million tonnes, which is sufficient for more than a year, according to a local state news agency.

 

During his visit to Salah Al-Din governorate, Al-Ghurairy explained that the ministry passed the critical period where the strategic stock of wheat was enough for only one month. The minister also elaborated that there are stocks of foodstuffs enough for four months.

 

An official at the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture mentioned earlier that the wheat crop is expected to range between four million tonnes and 4.5 million tonnes this season.

 

Iraqi Minister of Agriculture Abbas Jabr said last March that wheat production in the country is expected to reach four million tonnes during the 2022–2023 season, according to Reuters.

 

Jabr explained that the increase in production is a result of the government's plan to cultivate 4,000 square kilometers in desert lands and 2,500 square kilometers in other parts of Iraq.

 

The Iraqi market needs about 4.2 million tonnes annually to achieve self-sufficiency in the wheat crop.

 

Iraq was self-sufficient in wheat during the three years before the war in Ukraine, with production of 4.7 million tonnes in 2019, 6.2 million tonnes in 2020 and about 4.2 million tonnes in 2021.

 

However, factors such as water scarcity and desertification led to a decrease in the local production of wheat, which reached about three million tonnes last season, prompting the Iraqi government to import wheat to cover the shortfall.

 

The lack of rain in the winter season constitutes the most significant challenge to the production of agricultural crops in Iraq, including wheat, rice and barley.

 

- Iraqi News