Iraq expected to have surplus wheat production due to huge increase in sowing area
17-Oct-2024 12:57 PM
Baghdad. Traditionally Iraq has been an important importer of wheat but during the current year not only is its import expected to fall drastically but some surplus stock is also expected to remain due to the excellent production.
Encouraged by the government subsidy, farmers have increased the wheat sowing area to a new record level while the weather there also remained largely favorable.
The Iraqi government has resolved to make the country self-sufficient in terms of wheat production and hence farmers are being given various incentives to enhance production.
Wheat crop is considered very important in Iraq. The contribution of wheat in the total production of food grains is close to 70 percent.
According to official data, during the current year, the wheat sowing area in Iraq has increased to close to 27 lakh hectares while its total production is expected to increase to a new record level of 63 lakh tonnes with an average yield rate of 2.33 tonnes per hectare.
Which is 11 lakh tonnes more than the 2023-24 season production of 52 lakh tonnes and 20 lakh tonnes more than the five-year average production of 43 lakh tonnes.
Last year, due to adverse weather in the northern part of Iraq, the barley crop suffered heavy losses and its production fell to just 2 lakh tonnes.
But during the current year, production is expected to increase rapidly and reach a peak level of 14 lakh tonnes, which is much higher than the five-year average production of 8.50 lakh tonnes.
Cultivable land accounts for only 13 percent and pastures 10 percent of Iraq's total area. Irrigation facilities are available in 50 percent of the cultivable land.
Most of the cultivable land is in the northern and northeastern regions of the country where rainfall plays a very important role.
Apart from this, crops are also cultivated in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers where irrigation facilities are available.
It is believed that due to production being higher than domestic demand and consumption, Iraq will not need or will have negligible import of wheat from abroad for the next few months.