Archive | Agriculture

Iraq Business News brings you the latest news on developments and opportunities in Iraq agriculture.

IMMDF Finances Expansion of Corn-Drying Project

The Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) reports that the Iraq Middle Market Development Foundation (IMMDF) recently disbursed a US$1.7-million loan to a private sector poultry company in Erbil, Kurdistan, to expand its corn-drying operations. The loan will be repaid in monthly installments by December 2019. The company will use the funds to purchase 20,000 tonnes […]

Iraq becomes Largest Middle-East Sugar Importer

By John Lee. Iraq has reportedly overtaken the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to become the largest raw sugar importer in the Middle East. GulfNews quotes an analyst at Platts Kingsman as saying that Iraq imported 210,000 metric tons of raw sugar in the first quarter, compared with 156,600 tons imported by the UAE. Iraq’s only […]

Egg Imports Down on "Unstable Situation"

By John Lee. Avangardco, the largest producer of shell eggs and dry egg products in Ukraine and number one producer in Europe, has blamed a sharp decrease in exports on the "unstable situation in Iraq". In its results statement for the first quarter of 2016, the company said: "... exports of shell eggs decreased by 31% […]

Iraq becomes Turkey's Biggest Market for Citrus Fruit

By John Lee. Iraq has taken over from Russia as Turkey's biggest market for citrus fruits. In 2015, Russia took $90.52 million worth of the product, while so far in 2016 Iraq has taken citrus fruit to the value of $84.54 million. (Source: Fresh Plaza) (Picture Credit: Layth Mahdi)

Iraq Extends Poultry Products Ban

By Simon Kent. Apparently concerned about the lethal pathogenic H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus, which has previously been reported in Iraq, the country has extended a ban on poultry imports. Previously French poultry product imports were banned in December, but in January the ban was extended to over 20 countries. Monday's ban on […]

First Outbreaks of Bird Flu in Iraq in 10 yrs

By John Lee. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Tuesday that there have been six outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus in Iraq between mid-December and early February, in the first occurrence of the disease in 10 years. The outbreak has killed 77,101 birds, with another 641,498 destroyed as […]

Water Loss could lead to Security Risks

By John Lee. Research has found that the Tigris-Euphrates Basin -- comprising Turkey, Syria, Iraq and western Iran -- is losing water faster than any other place on the planet except northern India. According to the UN Development Progamme (UNDP), while scientists have been able to record falling water levels, political analysts have simultaneously observed […]

New $100m Edible Oils Plant to Open end-2016

By John Lee. Iraq's Etihad Food Industries will reportedly start production at its new $100-million edible oils refinery in Babylon by the end of the year. Commercial Director Haidar Alnoumany told Reuters that the company started building the infrastructure two months ago, and when in production it will source crude (edible) oil from many origins […]

Iraq Bans Poultry Imports due to Avian Flu

By John Lee. Iraq has banned the importion of frozen and live poultry products from two dozen countries. According to a report from Reuters, Baghdad restricted poultry imports from France last month, following a reported outbreak of H5N1 bird flu. The ban now extends to Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Bhutan, China, Egypt, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, […]

Iran "Drying Out the Kurdistan Region"

By John Lee. The head of the Parliamentary Committee for Municipality and Tourism has said that there is a grave threat to water resources in parts of Iraqi Kurdistan due to an Iranian policy that will dry up the Region’s water resources originating in Iran. After visiting the Sirwan River in Halabjah province, Omer Haji […]

Abadi Removes Grain Board Officials

By Simon Kent. Nine senior officials at Iraq's Grain Board have been relieved of their jobs, although no details of the dismissals have been reported. The Grain Board has a critical responsibility for procuring grain imports, strategically vital for feeding a country with a growing population and an agricultural sector threatened by acute drought. The […]