ERBIL, Kurdistan Region— Wheat growers in the Kurdistan region have reaped a record crop, boosting production 18 percent from 2014, and earning praise from government officials who said the yield is unprecedented in quality and abundance.
Dr Anwar Umar, general manager at the Ministry of Planning, told Rudaw the total production of more than 912,000 tons this year was achieved with strategic government planning and in spite high temperatures and infrequent rain.
“We have established four companies that provided farmers with good seeds and sufficient anti-weed spray to mitigate the crop damage caused by pests,” Umar said.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the area of land harvested for wheat has increased by nearly 80 percent in the last decade with Erbil province enjoying the greatest agricultural growth.
Government statistics show that agriculture contributes to 10 percent of the total GDP in the region, with 9 percent of the population relying on farming for their livelihood.
The Kurdistan Regional Government offers farmers’ subsidies estimated at $250 million a year. The government invested $677 million between 2006-2013 and is projected to invest an estimated $1.2 billion by 2020.
As of July, over 802,000 tons of wheat was purchased by the government, according to ministry of commerce, at a price of $660 per ton, equivalent to more than $531.6 million. In addition to other revenues, the KRG says the region’s farmers produced at least $587 million this year.
The increase is even more notable when compared to the last year’s overall revenues of $428,000,000, a roughly 20 percent year-on-year increase.
Authorities are now faced with a different challenge: the existing silos and warehouses are unable to store the additional wheat.
The region has only seven silos, which can store up to 385,000 tons of grain, far below the overall production. The rest is stored outdoors and vulnerable to the elements, officials said.
Sabah Ibrahim, of the Ministry of Commerce, said plans are in place to build dozens of storage houses capable of storing up to 100,000 tons of grain each.
Even factoring in the new silos, at least 259,000 tons will still be out in the open.
“This is why we decided to double the portion we usually give the mills and grinders across Kurdistan. The remaining part will be sent to southern cities in Iraq,” Sabah said.
