KRI triples wheat seed production in seven years
Shafaq News- Erbil
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) has increased its wheat seed production by 300% over the past seven years, achieving self-sufficiency and preparing to distribute 12,000 tonnes of subsidized seeds to farmers this year, the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources said on Thursday.
Speaking to Shafaq News, Nebez Rifaat, an adviser to the ministry and acting director general of the Agricultural Research and Extension Directorate, noted that the KRI has about three million dunams of land dedicated to grain cultivation, with Erbil covering up to half the annual cost of the seeds distributed to farmers.
The government pays 815,000 Iraqi dinars ($536) per tonne, while farmers contribute 400,000 dinars ($263) for registered seeds and 415,000 dinars ($273) for certified seeds, he said, adding that the ministry purchases wheat seeds from farmers each year at incentive prices before cleaning, disinfecting, and preparing them for the next planting season.
Last August, the ministry said it had produced 20 new grain seed varieties and planned to begin distributing them to farmers this year to improve the quality of agricultural output.
