The Iraqi Ministry of Trade announced that wheat procurement volumes for each province were determined according to two key criteria: approved agricultural plans and the storage capacity of silos.

Within this framework, Nineveh Province once again recorded the highest production levels nationwide, maintaining its long-standing reputation as Iraq’s primary wheat-producing area.

How Iraq Divides Its Agricultural Production Zones

As part of the national agricultural strategy, Iraq’s provinces are categorized into three major groups based on climate and irrigation sources.

The first category includes rain-fed provinces, covering northern Iraq and parts of the central belt, particularly the Nineveh Plains.

The second group consists of provinces dependent on rivers and dams, including Baghdad, Babylon, Wasit, Diwaniya, Najaf, and Maysan.

The third category includes areas reliant on groundwater resources, primarily Anbar and parts of Najaf, Muthanna, and Karbala.

Nineveh Continues to Break Wheat Production Records

According to data from the Ministries of Trade and Agriculture, the Nineveh Plains continue to hold the title of “Iraq’s Wheat Basket.”

In recent years, the province has repeatedly exceeded one million tons of wheat deliveries to government silos, accounting for nearly one-fifth of Iraq’s total wheat production.

Among Iraq’s largest wheat producers, Nineveh ranks first and relies mainly on dryland and rain-fed agriculture.

Wasit Province ranks second, with irrigated agriculture dependent on river systems, while Salah al-Din ranks third, with a mixed system of river and groundwater irrigation.

More broadly, northern provinces, including Nineveh, Kirkuk, and Salah al-Din, produce the largest overall wheat volumes. In contrast, central and Middle Euphrates provinces such as Wasit, Diwaniya, Babylon, and Baghdad are known for producing high-quality wheat suitable for flour production.

Production also continues across western and southern provinces according to available water resources.

Wheat Procurement Officially Begins in Erbil

As part of the procurement season, Iraqi Minister of Trade Mustafa Nizar announced from Erbil the official opening of silos to begin receiving wheat deliveries from farmers.

He stated that logistical preparations have been completed to reduce waiting times and ensure sufficient storage capacity for approved procurement quantities.

Government Promises Payment Disbursement and Market Access

Addressing farmers’ financial entitlements, the Minister confirmed that Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi’s government remains committed to settling outstanding payments related to last year’s wheat deliveries.

According to the Minister, an initial installment has already been released, while additional payments are expected to reach farmers in the coming days.

He also stated that the ministry is working to secure foreign markets for wheat volumes that exceed domestic procurement quotas, emphasizing that measures are being taken to protect farmers in the Kurdistan Region from financial losses.

Kurdistan Region Wheat Procurement Quotas

This year, the Council of Ministers approved the procurement of 400,000 tons of wheat from farmers in the Kurdistan Region, distributed as follows:

• Sulaymaniyah: 150,209 tons
• Erbil: 122,680 tons
• Duhok: 116,083 tons
• Halabja: 11,028 tons