Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iraqi government should review the 2026 summer agricultural plan and support mechanisms for the farming sector, Iraqi lawmaker Baez Al-Zarzari said on Monday, accusing authorities of “discriminating” against farmers in the Kurdistan Region in the allocation of farmland, wheat procurement, and government assistance.

Al-Zarzari told Shafaq News that he had concerns about decisions made by the coordination committee overseeing this year’s agricultural plan, explaining that it allocated large areas for rice cultivation in the provinces of Najaf, Al-Diwaniyah, and Dhi Qar, while also assigning around 36,200 hectares of groundwater-irrigated land to other provinces.

In contrast, he said, fertile agricultural land in the Kurdistan Region had been overlooked.

The lawmaker urged the government to “treat all regions equally and not prevent the investment of the Kurdistan Region’s agricultural potential.”

On wheat production, Al-Zarzari noted that output in the Kurdistan Region during the current season was “very strong” and could exceed two million tons. However, he argued that limiting government procurement to 400,000 tons would unfairly affect farmers in the Region, calling for the quota to be increased.

He also criticized the government’s wheat purchase price, saying it was “significantly lower than last year,” and called for reinstating the previous rate or unifying prices in a way that protects farmers’ rights.

Al-Zarzari further accused the government of depriving farmers in the Region of access to fertilizer support, agricultural loans, and pesticides, despite what he described as large budget allocations for the agricultural sector in other parts of Iraq.

He called for a “national and fair approach” to agriculture policy across Iraq.

His remarks followed Iraq’s Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources' approval of the 2026 summer agricultural plan, which includes designated areas for cultivating rice, yellow corn, and vegetables, while continuing to rely on modern irrigation techniques to address water shortages and drought conditions.