Iraq’s Basra 2026 harvest season opens
Shafaq News- Basra
Wheat harvesting has begun in Iraq's Basra province, where early estimates place average output at around 750 kilograms per dunum, with farmers working through expanding cultivated fields under varied soil and irrigation conditions.
Basra Agriculture Director Hadi Hussein told Shafaq News that cultivated land under the government’s agricultural plan covers about 3,937 dunums, while additional off-plan cultivation has reached roughly 7,500 dunums. The harvest includes several wheat varieties grown locally, including Al-Arabiya, Nizar, Ibaa 99, and Buhuth 22, alongside imported strains introduced to the fields.
He attributed the differences in production levels from one area to
another to soil quality, environmental factors, and irrigation practices.
Basra, alongside Duhok, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Wasit, together form the backbone of the country's domestic grain output.
In its 2025 annual report, the International Grains Council (IGC) forecasts Iraq’s 2026 wheat crop at 5 million tons, down from 6.3 million the previous year. Imports are expected to rise to 2.1 million tons, up from 1.5 million in 2025.
