General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers to constitute a committee to review the draft Law on Lease of agricultural land16 March, 2010
Formed the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of a committee to review the draft Law on Lease of agricultural land.
An official source in the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers that the committee chaired by the Ministry of Agriculture, and its membership includes representatives from the ministries of finance and planning, water resources, in addition to the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers and the board of advisers, the source added that the committee will prepare the final bill, as revised in accordance with the observations of the proposed circuit Legal Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.
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Tidbit from LH research committee ~
Key Stats and Figures Agriculture in Iraq
Agriculture in the economy:
9-11% of GDP, 2nd largest contributor after oil
Agriculture employment:
Agriculture employs almost 30% of the labor force
Agriculture imports:
80% of total food consumed, costing $1.4B USD
Sector Overview
Agriculture has a long history in Iraq. For centuries, agriculture in the rain-fed Zagros Mountains (in the north of Iraq) and the fertile plains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers enriched the people of Mesopotamia (the middle and south of Iraq). Iraq was once considered the breadbasket of the Middle East, and exported goods around the world including figs, grapes, wheat, barley, aromatic rice, and accounted for the majority share of world trade in dates.
Over the last 30 years, the general neglect of the agriculture sector has been compounded by conflict, declining soil capacity, mismanagement of water resources, and upriver population growth. In spite of these challenges, agriculture continues to play a critical role in Iraq’s economy, being the largest employer and the second largest contributor to GDP, after the oil sector.
However, imports account for nearly 80% of the basic food consumed, at a cost of $1.4 B USD in 2008. In particular, there is total dependency on imports of sugar, edible oil, and tea, and a high level import dependency of wheat (69%) and rice (81%), and milk (67%). Dependency on meat imports are estimated at 24% for beef, chicken (41%), and lamb, goats and sheep (8%).
The U.S. has helped Iraq bridge the agriculture gap between supply and demand by exporting over $1 B USD of agricultural products and related goods in 2008. In addition to the U.S., substantial amounts of Iraq's food products come from its other regional trading partners including Canada, Turkey, and Syria.
Iraq’s population is expected to boom, reaching almost 40 million people by 2025, and perhaps as much as 50 million in 2040. Given the expected population growth and Iraq's high dependency on agricultural imports, there are a number of agriculture opportunities for investment in order to more efficiently and economically satisfy Iraqi food demands.
Iraq has a total surface area of 43.7 million hectares of which 32.7 million (75 %) is not viable for agricultural use under current conditions. The remaining 25 % (about 11 million hectares) is involved in agricultural activities, although almost half of this is very marginal and used only for seasonal grazing of Iraq’s livestock population of predominantly goats and sheep.
The country can be divided into two agricultural zones, the northern zone that is primarily rain-fed and the southern zone that requires irrigation. Some 4 million hectares is estimated to be in crop production, of which about 3 million hectares are irrigated. According to United States Department of Agriculture data, cereals, (wheat, barley, and small amounts of rice) are produced on over 75% of the cropped land.
Livestock grazing occurs throughout both agricultural zones, but is more widespread in the north where hillside grazing prevails. Small ruminants –sheep and goats– are the most prevalent livestock species. However, beef has been the traditional source of dietary protein for most Iraqis. Poultry production occurs in close proximity to urban centers.
Only about one-third of the agricultural land is privately owned. The remaining two-thirds, controlled by the MoA, is leased or granted to farmers. Most farms are small, averaging about 12 hectares.
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