Baghdad still owes 141 billion Iraqi dinars to farmers in the Kurdistan Region for wheat delivered during the 2025 purchasing season, according to a senior official at the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Trade.
Nawzad Sheikh Kamil, director general of trade at the ministry, said that the Iraqi government had already transferred several installments of the 2025 wheat payments. However, Iraq’s Ministry of Trade has not yet sent the remaining 141 billion dinars.
The outstanding amount continues to affect farmers who supplied wheat last year and are still waiting to receive their full payments. Regional officials say they have completed the necessary administrative procedures and are waiting for Baghdad to release the remaining funds.
Sheikh Kamil also addressed payments for the 2026 wheat season. He said federal authorities have not yet informed the Kurdistan Regional Government about the total amount that Baghdad will provide or the expected transfer date.
This year, official silos received about 400,000 tonnes of wheat from farmers across the Kurdistan Region. The federal purchasing system divided the crop into two categories.
Authorities set a price of 700,000 dinars per tonne for wheat produced within the official cultivation plan. Wheat grown outside the approved plan received a lower price of 500,000 dinars per tonne.
The difference in prices reflects federal agricultural policy and the quotas assigned to each area. However, farmers now need clear information about when Baghdad will release the money.
Regional officials say delayed payments place financial pressure on farmers, especially those preparing for the next planting season. Many depend on wheat revenue to repay debts, buy seeds, maintain equipment and cover production costs.
The KRG is awaiting an official payment schedule from Baghdad for both the remaining 2025 debt and the 2026 wheat purchases. Farmers still lack a confirmed payment date today.
