Iraq has restarted rice cultivation after a two-year ban due to water scarcity, now testing a new strain of rice that requires less water than traditional varieties. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Mahdi Sahar al-Jubouri announced that the country has allocated 150 square kilometers (58 square miles) for rice farming this season, anticipating a yield of 150,000 tonnes. This resurgence is attributed to increased water availability from heavy winter rainfall and expected additional water flows from Turkey.
The previous two-year ban resulted in only 5 to 10 square kilometers of rice being planted annually, primarily for seed extraction, as the country faced a significant water crisis linked to upstream dams built by Turkey and Iran, reduced rainfall, and climate change effects.
Historically, Iraq was self-sufficient in rice and a major exporter of wheat and barley, even being the world’s leading exporter of dates. However, issues such as soil salinity, inadequate irrigation systems, drought, and prolonged conflict have severely impacted its agricultural sector, turning it into a major importer on global markets.
Despite the resumption of cultivation, Iraq will still need to import around 1.25 million tonnes of rice this year to satisfy domestic demand, maintaining the same import levels as last year, according to grain board officials.