“Half of Erbil’s flour will be produced here, in addition to several other food products. It will be written on the products ‘Made in Kurdistan,’” the KRG said in a promotional video of the project, the foundations of which were laid last November by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
“People of Kurdistan should be producers rather than relying on salaries or expecting to be cared for. They should not only be users,” Barzani said at the time.
The Wheat Marketing Project is costing $250 million.
Sixteen silos have been built, each capable of holding 5,000 tons of grain. Two flour mills will process 1,000 tons of grain per day and a number of factories will produce bulgur, couscous, macaroni, biscuits, and instant cereal.
“The sophisticated network of factories, silos, and packaging plants will create an estimated 3,500 new sustainable jobs, including opportunities in automation and [technologically] advanced laboratories,” the KRG’s Media and Information Department tweeted.
“Erbil will no longer need to import flour,” according to the KRG video.
Kurdistan’s farmers have struggled to find a market for their wheat in the past. Most rely on the Iraqi government to buy their crops, but Baghdad is not prompt in paying them. In February, the KRG’s agriculture minister Begard Talabani announced they had secured a first payment from Baghdad for wheat purchased in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Farmers frequently stage protests when the harvest season approaches, demanding the government buy their wheat.
