Kurdistan farmers vow to 'sell own crops,' amid broken promises by Iraqi PM

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Farmers in the Kurdistan Region say they have decided to refrain from selling their wheat crops to the Iraqi government because they have lost confidence in Baghdad due to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s broken promises.

According to the farmers, the Iraqi government has not delivered payments for crops sent to Baghdad for the past three years.

“I will not sell one grain of wheat to Baghdad,” one farmer, Najat Mohammed, told Kurdistan 24. “Abadi promises and sells us speeches, and then we see nothing. I no longer believe his lies.”

Another Kurdish farmer said he would no longer send his crops to wheat silos in Baghdad, vowing to sell them on his own.

“I will market my own crop of wheat myself, even if I sell it to traders at a lower price, at least I will receive a payment,” he said, adding his “three-year entitlement is still in the hands of the Iraqi government.”

Wheat traders confirmed with Kurdistan 24 that several farmers in the Region are beginning to sell their crops to traders after Baghdad failed to send the outstanding dues over the last few years.

Despite repeated claims he will send the salaries of employees in the Region, the Iraqi Prime Minister has not followed through with his promises, leading the people of Kurdistan to lose trust in his words.

On top of that, Abadi continues to impose sanctions on the Region following an independence referendum held last September.