On World Environment Day, the United Nations is highlighting the importance of sustainable environmental management to ensure food security. Nearly 6 million Iraqis face food deprivation and vulnerability. “The global theme for this year’s World Environment Day focuses on minimizing food waste,” said Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Iraq and […]
By John Schnittker, Chief Economist at Schnittker Associates, and former Ministry Advisor at the US Embassy in Baghdad. Iraq’s 2013 winter grain prospects appear to be good to excellent condition at this time. Late fall and early winter rains as well as irrigation supplies have been adequate to support increased plantings and good early growth […]
By Layth Mahdi, Agricultural Advisor. The opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. On-farm demonstration trials are used to teach farmers to improve their agricultural practices and increase yield. It serves as one of the most valuable extension education program to help farmers to […]
The Director General of Iraq's Grain Board expects wheat production to fall by 16 percent to 1.5 million metric tons this year because of drought, forcing the country to boost imports to 3 million tons. “Unfortunately, there is a drought this year in the northern provinces,” Ibrahim told Bloomberg. “Last year production was around 1.78 million […]
Iraq's Ministry of Agriculture will cultivate six million doumns [1.5 million hectares] of land to produce 48 percent of the country's wheat demand, according to AKnews. This is the equivalent of 2.2 million tons of wheat, said general director of investment projects at the ministry Sabah Dar'e. Iraq requires more than four million tons of […]
By Layth Mahdi, Agricultural Advisor. The opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi people are like a camel eating grass and carrying gold! Despite the huge oil budget (more than $100 billion/year), poverty and unemployment are the major issues facing the Government of […]
Iraq plans to increase domestic wheat production by about 74 percent to 3 million metric tons by 2015, according to Saleh Hussein Jabur [Jabr], director general of state- owned Mesopotamia Seed Company. Bloomberg reports that the government intends to triple the annual quantity of wheat seed that it buys from local farmers to 180,000 tons […]
Food stocks in the governorate of Sulaimaniya are now less than two weeks according to Sirwan Mohammed, the head of Sulaimaniya Chamber of Commerce. He told AKnews that since last year his office has been demanding the government allocate land plots to the Chamber so that it can construct new storage units. He added that […]
A new silo with a storage capacity of 60,000 tons of wheat is under construction in Erbil province, according to AKnews. An advisor to the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Ministry of Trade and Industry, Faris Majid, told the news agency that the new project, worth $21 million, occupies a 70-acres site on the Erbil-to-Gwer road in […]
Iraq's National Investment Commission (NIC) has announced an investment opportunity to establish new Foodstuff Testing Laboratories at the border crossing points. The labs will control all foodstuffs entering Iraq, and should be constructed according to special specifications that ensure the safe storage of all kinds of foodstuffs. They will be constructed according to investment law […]
Bloomberg reports that Iraq plans to import 3 million metric tons of wheat in 2012, with tenders starting in January. Hassan Ibrahim, director general of the country’s grain board, said in an interview that the grain board wants $3 billion to spend on grain imports next year, up 10 percent on the 2011 figure. Iraq […]
The governorate of Sulaimaniya is planning to build five grain silos by the end of 2012, according to Hama-Hussein Hama-Saeed, deputy general director at the Kurdistan trade ministry. AKnews reports that the silos, worth $116 million (138 billion Iraqi dinars), will have a capacity of 240,000 tons of grain. "With these silos, we'll be able […]
