Iraq achieves 500 thousand tons of surplus of wheat despite obstacles
Shafaq News / The Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture announced, on Sunday, that it had achieved a surplus of 500 thousand tons of wheat production, despite the obstacles, such as "fires and lack of rain".
The ministry's spokesman, Hamid Al-Nayef, told Shafaq News agency, "Until yesterday, the Ministry of Trade received five million tons of wheat from farmers", indicating that the ministry of agriculture received 550 thousand tons of barley and 400 thousand tons' higher ranks seeds; achieving, thus, self-sufficiency in wheat".
Al-Nayef added, Iraq requirement of wheat for ration card is 4 million and 500 thousand tons", indicating, "We achieved a surplus of 500 thousand tons of wheat".
The agriculture spokesman explained, "We can reach further surplus", as the market operation will continue for another few days; stressing that, "the ministry was able to achieve the goal for this year despite many obstacles: the lack of rain and fires destroying fields. Besides, some quantities were not received for violating the terms of receiving controls".
The Ministry of Agriculture had announced that this year 16 million dunums were cultivated, of which 9 million dunums of wheat: 6 million dunums were irrigated and 3 million dunums were rain-fed.
On July 24, 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture expected that wheat production for this year would reach more than six million tons, indicating that it would reach complete self-sufficiency to cover the ration card requirements.
Fire incidents in Wheat and Barley fields occur every year by the beginning of the harvest season in May, leaving farmers with huge losses annually. While the causes of the fires remain unknown, many attribute it to terrorism or competition.
