Iraq is among the world's largest consumers of Iranian dates, Turkish rice

Shafaq News/Iraq is among the world's largest markets of Iranian dates and Turkish rice, figures from both countries showed on Sunday.

Iran, a leading date producer, exported nearly 389,500 tons of the fruit valued at $345.4 million in 2023. This represents a 4% increase in volume and a 6.7% rise in value compared to the prior year, according to official data.

Iraq ranked seventh among the 82 consuming country, importing 8,886 tons of Iranian dates worth $9.44 million. 

India remained the top importer of Iranian dates at 90,237 tons ($84.7 million), followed by Pakistan (91,199 tons, $72.4 million) and Turkey (39,048 tons, $36.2 million).

Meanwhile, Iraq remains Turkiye's its biggest market for rice in the first two months of 2024, according to the Turkish Flour Federation. Rice exports to Iraq during this period witnessed a significant increase, exceeding those of February 2023 by 20%. This growth is part of a larger trend, with Turkish rice exports rising by over 60% in the past decade.

The Federation President, Haluk Tezcan, anticipates total rice exports to reach 4 million tons in 2024, attributing this growth to both established markets like Iraq and emerging ones such as Sudan and Sri Lanka.

Last month, Iraq's Agriculture Minister said the country is self-sufficient in wheat and food supplies for six months. A spokesperson to the ministry expected Iraq's wheat season to yield more than seven million tonnes. 

Iraq, with a population of more than 43 million, requires between 4.5 million and 5.0 million tons of wheat per year, according to its agriculture ministry.

Baghdad is seeking to be more self-sufficient in wheat, despite dwindling water supplies in its rivers, by shifting to growing crops in desert areas using ground water.