Heavy rains boost wheat production in Iraq’s Duhok

Shafaq News- Duhok

The current agricultural season has been successful compared with recent years, particularly for wheat production, Duhok’s Agriculture Directorate in Iraqi Kurdistan Region announced on Thursday, linking the result to abundant rainfall and snowfall.

Ahmed Jamil, head of the directorate, told Shafaq News that the total area planted with wheat this season was roughly the same as, or slightly larger than, last year, noting that rainfall shortages in the previous season left nearly 70% of the crop unharvested, while higher rainfall this year allowed the wheat to mature properly and on time.

“Total rainfall across Duhok province reached about 512 millimeters, compared with just 120 millimeters last year,” Jamil stated, adding that the highest rainfall was recorded in the Shiladze subdistrict at around 770 millimeters, and the lowest level, 312 millimeters, was measured in the Duhok Dam area, contributing positively to farmers’ conditions across the province.

Regarding wheat procurement, he said plans have not yet been finalized, and the province is awaiting a decision from the Iraqi Ministry of Trade on the quantities of wheat it will approve for purchase from the Kurdistan Region, predicting that wheat production in the province alone will exceed 400,000 tons during the current season.

According to official data, Iraq reached self-sufficiency in wheat, known locally as hinta. Production totaled 5.3 million tons in 2023, over 6 million tons in 2024, and more than 5 million tons in 2025 — a record in Iraq’s agricultural history, and an amount that is considered sufficient to cover Iraq’s annual flour needs under the public food ration system.