PM Barzani emphasizes importance of food self-sufficiency amid global shortages

The project, overseen by a local company called Kavin Group, consists of greenhouses, dairy farms, and cold storage facilities for fruit and vegetables. It is located in the Semel district of the province.
Kurdistan Region PM Masrour Barzani delivers a speech in Duhok during the laying of the foundation stone for a food industry project, June 7, 2022. (Photo: KRG)
Kurdistan Region PM Masrour Barzani delivers a speech in Duhok during the laying of the foundation stone for a food industry project, June 7, 2022. (Photo: KRG)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani emphasized the importance of attaining self-sufficiency in food supplies as the world grapples with shortages. 

The prime minister made the remark during the laying of a foundation stone for a food industry project in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province. 

“We shall reach a level that our food security is stable in the Kurdistan Region, and there are no risks to our people,” Barzani told attending business leaders and government ministers. 

The project, overseen by a local company called Kavin Group, consists of greenhouses, dairy farms, and cold storage facilities for fruit and vegetables. It is located in the Semel district of the province.

Prime Minister Barzani also stressed the importance of developing the Kurdistan Region’s agricultural sector to meet local demand for food products, adding that the autonomous region has the potential to provide for the Middle East and Europe in the future. 

He highlighted the current global challenges that have threatened food security around the globe, particularly the Russia-Ukraine war.

PM Masrour Barzani (center) attends the laying of a foundation stone for a food industry project, June 7, 2022. (Photo: KRG)
PM Masrour Barzani (center) attends the laying of a foundation stone for a food industry project, June 7, 2022. (Photo: KRG)

That ongoing war has had “effects” on the Kurdistan Region as well, Barzani said. 

The prime minister also noted that his government has taken several decisions to alleviate the effects of rising inflation. He pointed out that the latest decree of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) aims to slash public service fees for bakeries and factories. 

Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country to the adverse effects of climate change. Droughts and a decline in annual precipitations have harmed the Kurdistan Region’s agriculture. 

The prime minister noted that building greenhouses is one way to cope with the environmental challenges to the agricultural sector since they consume less water than conventional farming. 

There are 30,000 greenhouses across the Kurdistan Region that are currently meeting the local food demand, said Agriculture Minister Begard Talabani.

PM Masrour Barzani (second right) attends the laying of a foundation stone for a food industry project, June 7, 2022. (Photo: KRG)
PM Masrour Barzani (second right) attends the laying of a foundation stone for a food industry project, June 7, 2022. (Photo: KRG)