Iraq seeks massive irrigation drive as agriculture falters
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraq needs about 80 million modern irrigation systems to confront its deepening water crisis, Minister of Industry and Minerals Khaled Battal al-Najm declared on Tuesday, as many farmers describe agriculture as a losing venture.
During the inauguration of a new irrigation equipment plant in Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad, al-Najm described the project as a step toward securing food supplies, boosting local production, and easing financial pressures. He highlighted that Iraq has already achieved self-sufficiency in wheat, exported part of its surplus, and maintains sufficient reserves. “To encourage adoption,” he confirmed, “the government will sell irrigation systems to farmers in installments.”
The plant, built through a partnership between Iraq’s state-owned al-Faris Company and Saudi Arabia’s al-Khorayef Company, will operate with an annual capacity of 1,500 systems designed for farmland ranging from 60 to 240 dunams.
Water Crisis Grips Iraqi Agriculture
Iraq is enduring its harshest water year in decades, the Ministry of Water Resources has warned, citing reduced rainfall and declining inflows from upstream countries. The shortage has already forced authorities to scale back cultivation plans, while fertilizer deliveries are often delayed and outdated farming methods continue to limit yields, pushing the agricultural sector into crisis.
Read more: Iraq’s water crisis deepens: Reserves collapse, mismanagement continues
Several farmers, in separate interviews with Shafaq News, described agriculture as “a burden with no benefit, only financial loss and health risk,” pointing to soaring costs, scarce rainfall, and shrinking river levels.
Read more: Iraq’s climate collapse: A nation at risk
Responding to these concerns, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has recently approved 500 billion dinars (approximately $350 million) in support for farmers across the provinces to revitalize the sector and strengthen food security.
