Shafaq News/ Iraq's Economic Ministerial Council has adopted a package of decisions designed to cope with the global surge of foodstuff prices, the Minister of Trade announced on Monday.

The council convened earlier today to ponder the latest updates on the status of the global foodstuff markets that went on fire with the Russian military operations in Ukraine entering closing up on two weeks.

Minister Alaa al-Jubouri said that the council opted to boost the ration card and raise the government's payments to wheat growers to 725,000 dinars for every ton of their crop.

The council, according to the Minister, opted to pay wheat growers the 2021 dues within ten days, while the payments of the current year will be disbursed before June.

"The council decided to subsidize the purchase of three million tons of imported wheat. It also allocated 100 million dollars for an urgent purchase."

"The Ministry already has a plan to achieve food security and cope with the prices surge imposed by the recent crisis between Ukraine and Russia; that collectively control one-third of the world's exports of wheat, corn, and oil."

"The ministerial council has submitted the proposals to the cabinet to be voted on in the next session," he said, "the surge of foodstuff prices is a fabricated crisis by monopolists."

Al-Jubouri said that the Ministry has proceeded with assembling the Ramadan basket, indicating that another basket will also be released before the holy month. 

The Minister said that the Commercial Oversight department, in cooperation with the Organized Crime Department and the National Security, is closely monitoring the prices in the Iraqi market via continuous field trips, warning of legal measures against the violators.