Iraq achieves self-sufficiency in wheat production for 2023

Shafaq News / The Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture announced on Sunday that the country has achieved self-sufficiency in wheat production for the current year 2023, eliminating the need for wheat imports.

According to Deputy Minister Mithaq Abdul Hussein Al-Khafaji, the Iraqi government has allocated financial support for farmers and agricultural crops in the general budget law. This support has contributed to the successful wheat harvest, allowing Iraq to produce more than 5 million tons of wheat this year, a quantity sufficient to sustain the food basket without requiring imports.

Al-Khafaji affirmed the ministry's intention to increase support for farmers in the coming year, despite the challenges posed by climate change and rising temperatures. He emphasized that the ministry is adopting new methods that can adapt to water scarcity, utilizing machinery and equipment to enhance production.

The Agriculture Minister, Abbas Al-Aliawi, previously informed Shafaq News Agency that Iraq had officially cultivated approximately 8 million dunams of land. Around 4 million dunams were cultivated in desert lands, and an additional 2.5 million dunams in irrigated lands. Recently, approximately 1.5 million dunams were cultivated in various Iraqi provinces.

Last May, the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture declared the successful marketing season for the 2022-2023 wheat harvest and confirmed that all dues owed to farmers had been disbursed smoothly.