KRG Agriculture Minister threatens Baghdad

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – A Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) official stated on Saturday that Baghdad has been unjustifiably blocking Kurdistan Region products in the southern provinces of Iraq.

The Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources Abdulsattar Majid stated that if this behavior continues, the KRG will have to respond by blocking water flow.

“Baghdad government has made a political decision to prevent Kurdistan Region’s poultry and dairy products from entering southern Iraq,” Majid said.

Iraq claims domestic birds in the Kurdistan Region are infected with Bird Flu (Avian Influenza), but Majid says in the past months only two cases were found in the Region, which was immediately controlled.

“Iraq’s Agriculture Ministry sent a committee and investigated the case. Under control, the disease provides no threat, but Baghdad is still blocking local products,” he added.

Additionally, Majid stated in the meeting of the KRG’s Ministerial Council that if the Iraqi Federal Government continues blocking Kurdistan’s commodoties, the KRG will have to make difficult decisions.

Majid explained that the Region might have to stop completely exporting its goods and block the Turkish and Iranian planes using Kurdistan as a transit point to Baghdad.

“We will also decrease the amount of water that flows from Kurdistan to other parts of Iraq,” he emphasized.

Furthermore, Majid acknowledged that the Iraqi Agriculture Minister visited Kurdistan four times and asked for an increase of water flow to Iraq.

“They have the right to receive 80 square centimeters of water per second from Dukan Dam, but we increased it to 120 square centimeters,” he added. “If Baghdad continues blocking KRG products, we will decrease the amount to less than 50 square centimeters of water.”

Reporting by Mewan Dolamari
Editing by Ava Homa and Karzan Sulaivany