Food prices continue climbing in Iraqi markets

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Agricultural and meat prices rose across Iraq in 2025, with increases recorded in wheat, rice, red meat, dates, and several fruit and vegetable products, Iraq’s Statistics and Geographic Information Systems Authority reported on Thursday.

According to a review by Shafaq News, field crop prices recorded noticeable increases, with wheat rising 4.9% to 510 Iraqi dinars (about $0.33) per kilogram, rice increasing 4.4% to 940 dinars (about $0.61), and barley climbing 3.8% to 436 dinars (about $0.28) per kilogram. Okra prices rose by 3.6%, while tomatoes increased by 1.9%.

In the fruit sector, lemon prices increased by 3% to 3,034 dinars (about $1.97) per kilogram, while pomegranate and peach prices rose by 0.8% and 0.7%, respectively. Prices of other products, including apples and olives, declined. Date prices also increased, with Barhi dates rising 3% to 2,032 dinars (about $1.32) per kilogram and Maktoum dates increasing 3.2% to 1,755 dinars (about $1.14).

Data also revealed that red meat prices continued to climb, with lamb prices rising by 3.2% and beef by 3.1%, while chicken prices fell by 7.2% to 2,900 dinars (about $1.89) per kilogram.

Iraq’s agricultural sector has faced mounting pressure in recent years from inflation, currency fluctuations, rising production costs, and dependence on imports, while farmers have also complained about delayed government payments for strategic crops such as wheat and barley, adding further strain to domestic food production and market stability.

Read more: Iraq's farmers fed the state. Now they're waiting to be paid.