Duhok province expects wheat production to exceed 500,000 tons this season. Officials say both crop quality and total output have improved after stronger rainfall across the region.
Ahmed Jamil, Director General of Agriculture in Duhok, said this year’s harvest is far better than last year’s drought-hit season. He said that rain-fed farmland benefited most from improved weather conditions.
Last year, low rainfall damaged crops in several areas. Bardarash, Shekhan, and Semel recorded weak harvests during the 2025 season. This year, better rainfall has helped farmers produce larger quantities of higher-quality wheat.
Authorities have prepared three major silos in Rovia, Shekhan, and Faidiya to receive the new harvest. Officials plan to start wheat collection in early June after approval from Iraq’s Ministry of Trade.
A dispute with Baghdad continues over wheat purchasing quotas. The Kurdistan Regional Government rejected Iraq’s decision to buy only 292,000 tons from the region. Officials described the quota as unrealistic because production levels are much higher this season.
The KRG Ministry of Agriculture has also renewed agreements with local firms, including Qaiwan Group and Khoshnaw Group. These companies will buy up to 500,000 tons of surplus wheat if Baghdad refuses to purchase the full harvest.
Under this arrangement, private firms will purchase around 200,000 tons from Erbil. They will also buy 150,000 tons each from Duhok and Sulaimani after Iraq reaches its federal quota.
Officials say this plan will protect farmers from financial losses and stabilize market prices. They also assured farmers that no wheat crop will remain unsold.
The Kurdistan Region expects total wheat production to surpass 1.5 million tons this season. Despite the stronger harvest, farmers face lower profits. Iraq reduced the wheat procurement price to 700,000 dinars per ton this year. Last year, farmers received 850,000 dinars per ton, increasing concerns about declining income and rising production costs.
