SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraq has managed to secure three million tons of wheat, Minister of Agriculture Muhammad Karim al-Khafaji said on Wednesday.
Khafaji said food security has been ensured until the end of the year, according to Reuters.
On Tuesday, the country’s trade ministry said it was working to allocate two million tons of wheat for strategic reserves, which would be sufficient for six months.
Iraq is a major Middle East grain importer and needs between 4.5 million and 5 million tons of wheat a year to supply its massive food rationing program.
Earlier this month, Iraq’s minister of trade said the country would allocate $100 million to urgently purchase wheat and to create a strategic reserve by importing three million tons of the grain, as food prices are rising due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine export about a quarter of the world’s wheat and half of its sunflower products, like seeds and oil, according to BBC. Ukraine also sells a lot of corn globally.
