The Ministry of Agriculture revealed its estimates of the volume of wheat crop production in agricultural lands for the current season, and it also disclosed the area of land cultivated with this crop.

The Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Jabr Al-Alaywi, stated, in a statement to the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA), that “the amount of production for the wheat crop will exceed 4 million (4.5 million) tons for the current season, because the cultivated areas are more than the approved agricultural plan, and a decision was taken by the government receives all quantities of production inside and outside the agricultural plan.

He added: “The officially cultivated areas amounted to about 4 million dunums in the desert lands, and another 2.5 million dunums in the irrigated lands, i.e. 6.5 million dunums in total, but the recent increase after our communication with the agricultural divisions in the governorates was about 1.5 million dunums, so that the outcome would be 8 million dunums.” Most of the cultivated area is in desert lands.

He went on to say, “We have directives for farmers not to carry out burning operations in agricultural lands, but sometimes there are uncontrolled operations such as the individual actions of some farmers that cause harm to uncultivated areas, so we issued directives to hold accountable and prevent burning operations before the completion of the agricultural season.”

He added, “The government took a decision in the winter agricultural plan for the year 2023, that support in the next season will be a priority and exclusive for users of modern irrigation methods and techniques.”

Source: National Iraqi News Agency