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Iraq imported two million tons grain from America and Canada
28/07/2011
It seeks to achieve self-sufficiency in production
BAGHDAD - morning
Continuing efforts of the Ministry of Commerce in the field of providing strategic grain that fall within the ration card items and the Minister of Trade Khairallah Hassan Babiker, that Iraq currently imports 2 million tons of grain from America, Canada and seeks to open the horizons of cooperation with all countries in the world.
The minister said during his meeting with General Manager, L3 America "that Iraq currently imports 2 million tons of grain are currently being planned to issue new laws to regulate the internal and external trade and seeks to open the horizons of cooperation with all countries including the United States of America and in all the fields of trade, economic and investment."
The Babiker, Government policy seeks to provide all facilities to the investors in order to participate in the construction, reconstruction and building infrastructure.
And Iraq consumes annually is $ 4.5 million tonnes of wheat and 1.2 million tons of rice, and go of most of Iraq's imports of wheat and rice in favor of the ration card, The Ministry of Agriculture "that Iraq's production of grain will reach 2.5 million tons this year, and it seeks to achieve sufficiency self during the next two years, according to "the gate of Iraq."
The other hand, predicted the Iraqi Grain Board President Ibrahim al-Hassan in an interview with Reuters last week that "the total wheat crop of 1.75 million tons in 2011, below expectations and down from 1.866 million tonnes last year due to drought."
Ibrahim said that the main reason is bad weather and drought that hit northern Iraq, noting that the rains came late. Ibrahim said, "Iraq bought enough rice and entered into contracts to ensure cover its needs for the year 2011."
Officials said last month they expected that Iraq produces an annual four million tonnes of wheat in three years and be able to meet local needs based on the new plans for irrigation in parts of the country. And confirms the officials in the Ministry of Commerce, said Iraq would continue to tender for the purchase of wheat to fill the shortage of 2011. And that the government recently bought rice from Uruguay in the latest Mnaqsatha because it agreed with the specifications and that the Iraqi rice, which recently introduced the U.S. did not meet these specifications.
Observers expect that the decline in world wheat prices rose after Russia, a leading exporter in the world about a year-long ban on exports in the first of July.
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