Iraq prepares for wheat procurement season as storage sites stand ready
The country sets up 78 storage sites ahead of harvest collection while farmers raise concerns over quotas in the Kurdistan Region.
IRAQ – Iraq has started preparations for its new wheat procurement season, with officials confirming that 78 silos and grain storage facilities are ready to receive the harvest.
The move marks the first step in an annual process that supports the country’s food supply.
Haider Garawi, Director of the Grain Trading Company, said the facilities include both new and renovated sites, with a focus on Muthanna and Karbala. These sites have a combined storage capacity of about 340,000 tons of wheat.
Authorities have put strict quality checks in place to manage incoming grain. They will not allow any mixing of this year’s harvest with last year’s stock. Inspection teams will check moisture levels and pest presence, and they will apply penalties for any violations.
Rain has delayed the start of the harvest season. Officials now expect grain collection to begin in about 10 days. Staff will report as early as 5:00 a.m. to manage deliveries from farmers and keep operations moving.
The rollout comes at a time of tension with farmers in the Kurdistan Region. The regional Ministry of Agriculture has raised concerns about the proposed procurement quota of 292,000 tons. Officials in the region want the government to purchase at least half of the expected harvest, which they say could exceed 2 million tons.
Wheat remains central to Iraq’s food system. The crop accounts for about 70 percent of total cereal production and supports both local consumption and the Public Distribution System, which provides flour and other basic goods to millions of people. The system needs about 5.2 million metric tons each year to serve a population of 42 million.
In the 2024 to 2025 marketing year, Iraq recorded a strong harvest of 6.3 million metric tons, helped by good rainfall in northern areas and steady irrigation in central and southern regions.
This pushed the country to a level where it could meet its wheat needs from local supply. However, the Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 2025 production could drop to 4.5 million metric tons, which may require imports of about 2.4 million metric tons.
Despite strong local output, commercial bakeries in Iraq still rely on imported flour, mainly from Turkey and Iran. Bakers say imported flour meets their baking needs and comes at competitive prices.
Each year, Iraq imports about 1.5 million tons of flour, which keeps the market linked to regional suppliers.
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