Ramadan Mohammed, a livestock specialist at the Ministry, suggests another reason: “The merchants who import the poultry products have more money and influence than the local producers, which is why nobody cares as much about the Kurdish farmers,” he argues.
“There is also a lack of coordination between the owners of the various poultry products which means that the sector has never managed to establish a united and solid base from which to compete.”
However as Mohammed points out, neither the imports nor the financial crisis in Iraqi Kurdistan – which has seen demand for consumer goods drop in general – has managed to defeat the local chicken farmers yet. Over the past three years, around 150 new farms have opened and the number of those who have closed remains low, he declares.
"Local officials support local products, but our hands are tied as there is no law to regulate this trade," Mohammed says, adding that if something isn’t done soon, then the importers will triumph over the local farmers.
“The only solution is to impose higher taxes on the imported goods and to encourage better marketing of local products.”
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