KRG to Buy Farmers’ Wheat at Higher Price Despite Baghdad Withholding Payment
“The entire effort is aimed at preserving farmers’ production and encouraging greater cultivation in the coming years,” Shukri emphasized. He reiterated that the KRG is determined to protect domestically produced foodstuffs and ensure the sustainability of local agriculture.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will continue to purchase locally produced wheat from farmers through private sector firms despite not receiving payment from Baghdad, the head of the KRG's Investment Board told Kurdistan24 on Tuesday.
Mohammed Shukri, Chairman of the Kurdistan Investment Board, said that despite the central government in Baghdad withholding funds owed for wheat supplied previously, the KRG remains committed to securing this year’s harvest and supporting farmers.
“The wheat produced by Kurdistan Region farmers is one of the most important products the government is committed to buying and marketing,” Shukri stated, adding that the KRG has consistently purchased wheat for the past three years at prices higher than market rates to prevent financial losses for farmers.
Shukri explained to Kurdistan24 that the KRG—through its partnership with two major private companies, Khoshnaw and Qaywan—is implementing three major strategic projects in Erbil, Sulaimani, and Duhok to buy wheat directly from farmers at prices higher than those offered in the open market.
“The entire effort is aimed at preserving farmers’ production and encouraging greater cultivation in the coming years,” Shukri emphasized. He reiterated that the KRG is determined to protect domestically produced foodstuffs and ensure the sustainability of local agriculture.
By purchasing the wheat at favorable prices and ensuring timely collection, the KRG hopes to incentivize farmers to expand cultivation and safeguard the region’s food security amid ongoing political and economic disputes with the federal government.
