Iraq reduces winter crop area by 55% due water shortage

The Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture yesterday announced that the winter crop area will be reduced by 55 per cent due to lack of irrigation water.

“The agricultural plan for the current winter season is 55 per cent lower than last season because the water level allows us to irrigate only 1.711 million dunums [422,797 acres],” ministry spokesman, Hamid Nayef, said in a statement.

Nayef added that “1.261 million dunums [311,599 acres] will be used for wheat growing, 250,000 dunums [61,776 acres] for barley and 200,000 [49,421 acres] for vegetable growing,” noting that more land will be added to the winter agricultural plan if there is sufficient rainfall.

In June, Iraq banned the planting of eight summer crops, including rice, corn and cotton because of water shortages.

READ: Iraq lost 40% of its agricultural productiony