Nearly 400 billion Iraqi dinars owed to farmers in the Kurdistan Region remain with the Iraqi government, according to regional officials. Baghdad plans to release the money in monthly installments.
Silos across the Kurdistan Region opened on June 12 and received wheat until July 18. During that period, they collected nearly 400,000 tonnes from local farmers.
The Iraqi government accepted about 292,000 tonnes under the official cultivation plan. Authorities priced each tonne at 700,000 dinars, bringing the total value to almost 200 billion dinars.
They also purchased around 108,000 tonnes produced outside the approved plan. Baghdad priced this wheat at 500,000 dinars per tonne, giving it a total value of approximately 54 billion dinars.
Nawzad Sheikh Kamil, director general of trade in the Kurdistan Region, said on July 30 that the federal government also owes farmers more than 141 billion dinars from previous wheat seasons.
He said regional authorities had completed all administrative preparations and prepared the required payment checks. They are now waiting for Baghdad to release the funds.
According to Sheikh Kamil, Iraq’s Council of Ministers recently approved a new payment mechanism. Under the decision, the federal government will allocate part of the farmers’ money each month.
Once Baghdad transfers each installment, the Kurdistan Regional Government will distribute it among eligible farmers.
In 2024, the Iraqi government purchased 700,000 tonnes of wheat from farmers in the Kurdistan Region. In 2025, it reduced the quota to 400,000 tonnes and paid 800,000 dinars for each tonne.
Farmers are now waiting for a clear payment schedule. Officials say the monthly system should gradually settle current and outstanding debts, but they have not announced the value or date of the first installment.
The delayed payments have increased pressure on farmers who need funds to prepare for future planting seasons and repay debts.
