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Azzaman, January 11, 2012
Iraqi rice yields have dropped to 108,000 tons this year from an average 200,000 tons it used to produce annually, a statement by the country’s Grain Board showed.
The statement faxed to the newspaper said this year’s rice produce has already been shipped by farmers to the country’s silos.
The drop will increase the country’s reliance on imports.
Iraq is estimated to have imported more than 1.5 million tons of rice last year.
The Iraqi provinces known to have been traditional rice producers – Najaf, Diwaniya and Muthana – have been hit by raising salinity and water shortfalls.
Rice is one of four staple items in the country’s ration card system. The other items include flour, sugar and cooking oil – all imported from abroad.
The food rationing system was introduce by the former regime of President Saddam Hussein to offset impact of crippling U.N. trade sanctions.
It is still in place despite the removal of sanctions as without it millions of impoverished, low income Iraqis will fail to make ends meet.
Food imports to meet demand of the ration card system cost the treasury more than $3 billion a year.
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Iraqi rice yields have dropped to 108,000 tons this year from an average 200,000 tons it used to produce annually, a statement by the country’s Grain Board showed.
The statement faxed to the newspaper said this year’s rice produce has already been shipped by farmers to the country’s silos.
The drop will increase the country’s reliance on imports.
Iraq is estimated to have imported more than 1.5 million tons of rice last year.
The Iraqi provinces known to have been traditional rice producers – Najaf, Diwaniya and Muthana – have been hit by raising salinity and water shortfalls.
Rice is one of four staple items in the country’s ration card system. The other items include flour, sugar and cooking oil – all imported from abroad.
The food rationing system was introduce by the former regime of President Saddam Hussein to offset impact of crippling U.N. trade sanctions.
It is still in place despite the removal of sanctions as without it millions of impoverished, low income Iraqis will fail to make ends meet.
Food imports to meet demand of the ration card system cost the treasury more than $3 billion a year.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
