Baghdad restricts agricultural goods from Iraqi Kurdistan

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) accused Baghdad on Tuesday of preventing locally produced agricultural goods from the Kurdistan Region from entering other Iraqi provinces, describing the move as a violation of the agreement on the agricultural calendar system.

At a press conference, KRG Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources Begard Talabani said that the ministry considers the interests of farmers in both the Region and the rest of Iraq.

Referring to last week’s protests by farmers and fruit and vegetable traders against the transport restrictions, Talabani described the federal government’s actions in Makhmour road as “a source of concern,” adding that she had contacted the federal agriculture minister to address the issue.

The agricultural calendar system, set by Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture, regulates planting, harvesting, and import schedules to protect local production and promote self-sufficiency. It relies on Iraq’s climatic diversity by allowing imports of crops only when shortages occur.

According to the Kurdish ministry’s 2024 report, the Region exported roughly 1.3 million tons of fruits and vegetables, including watermelons, potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers, to central and southern Iraq, with much of this trade passing through the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing. Official trade data show that these shipments formed part of exports to the rest of Iraq valued at about 8 billion Iraqi dinars (around $5.5M).