Iraq's wheat production declines due to summer drought
Iraq's deputy agriculture minister, Mahdi al-Jubouri, told Rudaw that this year's wheat production is estimated to be 5.12 million tons, compared to 5.4 million tons produced in 2024.
Iraq is suffering from a deepening water shortage. According to the United Nations, the country is the fifth most vulnerable to climate change, with the consequences compounded by Turkey and Iran's construction of dams on rivers that flow into Iraq.
The absence of formal agreements with the two countries, along with this year's drought, has exacerbated the issue.
According to al-Jubouri, Iraq has maintained a consistent production of fruits and vegetables because these crops do not require a lot of water.
The Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture declared in mid-July that it had achieved self-sufficiency in wheat for the third year in a row.
The wheat produced from different Iraqi provinces, except the Kurdistan region of Iraq, reached four million tons so far, Shafaq News reported.
During a celebration marking the accomplishment, Iraqi Minister of Agriculture Abbas Al-Maliki stated that this achievement is the result of ongoing government support and the ministry's plans, which include providing agricultural supplies, using modern irrigation techniques to address water scarcity, and providing improved seeds and fertilizers.
Iraq was self-sufficient in wheat for three years before the crisis in Ukraine, producing 4.7 million tons in 2019, 6.2 million tons in 2020, and around 4.2 million tons in 2021.
However, water scarcity and desertification limited local wheat production, forcing the Iraqi government to import wheat to fill the shortfall.
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