Page 29 - AA 2022 YEAR BOOK

Iraq

Barley Production, Supply, and Demand Statistics
Barley 2019/2020 2020/2021 2021/2022
Market Begin Year Jul 2019 Jul 2020 Jul 2021
USDA USDA USDA
Jul 2022 New Post New Post New Post
Off cial Off cial Off cial
Area Harvested 1200 1000 1200 1284 0 999
Beginning Stocks 11 11 331 26 0 345
Production 1600 1650 1550 2029 0 1580
Tamwnyia. This program was tested on MY Imports 0 5 0 0 0 0
a very small scale last year but has not TY Imports 0 5 0 0 0 0
yet been generalized across Iraq. MOT TY Imp. from U.S. 0 0 0 0 0 0
officials have reemphasized the need Total Supply 1631 1666 1881 2055 0 1925
to implement this program as soon as
possible in order to prevent beneficiary MY Exports 0 0 400 0 0 0
duplication and minimize corruption. TY Exports 0 0 400 0 0 0
Feed and Residual 1000 1330 1000 1400 0 1470
Flour Mills FSI Consumption 300 310 300 310 0 310
According to the Iraqi Millers Total Consumption 1300 1640 1300 1710 0 1780
Association, there a total of 282 licensed Ending Stocks 331 26 181 345 0 145
flour mills in Iraq, constituting 97 percent
for the private sector located in 19 Total Distribution 16.31 1666 1881 2055 0 1925
governorates. The remaining 3 percent Yield 1.33 1.65 1.29 1.58 0 1.58
of Iraq’s milling capacity belong to the (1000 HA), (1000 MT), (MT/HA)
public sector. However, much of the
private sector milling capacity remains shows the available statistics for import
underutilized. As the number of new of wheat, flour, and barley for 2019. The Consumption:
private sector mills has increased, the table is derived from official sources but Post estimates total consumption of
share of grain received per mill has built on the basis of the import licenses, barley for MY 2021/22 at 1.78 MMT. Large
decreased. In addition, millers point out however most of these licenses are not carryover stocks from MY 2020/21 offset
that there is a decline in the frequency in executed. lower production allowing for a slight
which the mills are receiving the grain. rise in feed consumption. Iraq mainly
The State Company for Grain Processing Production: uses barley as animal feed for cows and
only offers flour under the PDS eight small ruminants. It is used similarly as
months of the year, which leads them Post estimates MY 2021/2022 feed grade wheat and other residual,
to halt operations for the remaining production of barley to be 1.58 MMT, a non-palatable grains as feed. A small
4 months, despite having to pay 22 percent reduction from MY 2020/21 amount is used for human consumption
operational costs year around. Private production. This is due to MoA’s plan to as barley bread, but the flour is normally
sector mills receive wheat supplies after drop barley cultivation area by 285,000 imported from Turkey.
the public sector capacity is filled. hectares, likely for two reasons: first, to
increase wheat area over barley area Paddy rice planting in Iraq starts from
Wheat Flour Imports and second, to address criticism that the second half of May for the early
Iraq is using its limited water resources varieties Meshkab 1 and Eba 1, while the
Iraq imports sizable volumes of wheat to produce barley which is purchased by planting of the late varieties – namely
flour from different countries. Traders the government at a high price ($290/ Amber 33, Amber Baghdad, Amber
estimate that around 85 percent of MT) and then sold to traders at a low Furat, and Amber Manathera – start in
flour imports are from Turkey, while price ($125/MT). Iraqi barley farmers June. In northern Iraq, planting of the
the remaining 15 percent come from largely follow government plans for Bazyan 56 variety begins in April and
other countries. Reportedly, around cultivating crop areas, otherwise they continues through the end of May. Rice
100 Turkish mills are producing only risk access to irrigated water and input harvesting takes place in October for the
for the Iraqi market and specifically for subsidies. early varieties.
Iraqi buyers’ specifications. As the Iraqi
population is beginning to consume Post is raising MY 2020/21 barley Normally, cultivation of paddy rice
more barley bread over wheat bread production from 1.675 MMT to 2.029 in southern Iraq is prohibited due to
for dietary reasons, some wheat flour MMT based on new data. MY 2020/21 the high amount of water required for
imports from Turkey are being replaced barley production greatly exceeded its cultivation. The prohibition initially
by barley flour or mixture of wheat and expectations and Iraq’s surplus led it to included rice, corn, cotton, and sesame.
barley, which is becoming an important export the grain. Nineveh governorate However, this was lifted for the 2019 and
source for bread in almost all private ranked first producing 1.36 MMT or 2020 growing seasons and it is forecasted
sector bakeries. 77 percent of total production. Barley that it will remain lifted during the 2021
production in the rain fed zone was also season, but possibly to a lesser extent, in
Reliable statistics on cross-border 1.363 MMT representing 77 percent of light of the expected water availability
trade are not available and large volumes total production. Barley production in the this summer. The decision on this vital
of unregistered product are likely flowing Kurdistan region totaled 272,853 MT. issue and planned planted area for
to Iraq from different countries. Table 3 paddy will be made in the spring of 2021.

Arab Agriculture 2022 27