Iraq pledges 320,000 tons of wheat to support Lebanon’s food security crisis

IRAQ – Iraq has announced an initiative to deliver 320,000 tons of wheat to the country in a significant move to bolster Lebanon’s food security amidst its ongoing recovery from recent conflicts.

The announcement was made by Iraqi Deputy Minister of Trade, Sattar Al-Jaberi, following his meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut.

Al-Jaberi detailed plans to transport the wheat overland, contingent upon the stabilization of the situation in Syria, which serves as a critical transit route.

This substantial contribution, valued at approximately US$96 million based on current global wheat prices, is poised to significantly alleviate Lebanon’s grain shortages.

This initiative is part of a broader spectrum of aid from Iraq to Lebanon. In October 2024, Lebanese Economy Minister Amin Salam acknowledged Iraq’s provision of 200,000 tons of wheat, sufficient to meet Lebanon’s needs for seven months.

Additionally, Iraq has dispatched over 10,000 tons of food, medicine, medical equipment, and relief materials to Lebanon via Syrian territory as the humanitarian crisis precipitated by the recent conflict led to the displacement of over 20,000 Lebanese to Iraq.

In 2024, Iraq achieved historic wheat milestone with record 6.3M tons purchased, the highest quantity ever recorded.

This significant milestone, reported by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), underscores the ministry’s ongoing efforts to bolster local production and enhance national food security.

As of July 6, Iraq had already acquired 5.9 million tons of local wheat since the beginning of the current harvest season in April.

Haider Nouri Al-Karaawi, Director General of the Iraqi General Grain Trading Company, projected that the final volume of wheat purchases for the season would reach approximately 6.3 million tons.

The Iraqi Ministry of Trade highlighted that this achievement aligns with its goals for the 2024 wheat marketing season, emphasizing that the substantial quantities of wheat procured from local farmers are pivotal in achieving self-sufficiency in food security.

This accomplishment is a testament to the success of the ministry’s agricultural and trade policies, which focus on promoting local production and reducing reliance on imports.

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