تحديـات القطـاع الـزراعـي فـي العـراق

In Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Republic of Iraq

Ministry of Agriculture

Work Sheet of the Ministry of Agriculture








The Upgrading of Irrigation and Agricultural

Sector Conference will be held by the Iraqi Supreme Committee for Agricultural Initiative

December, 16-17, 2009 Baghdad

Challenges of the Agricultural Sector in Iraq

1- The low productivity of the soil.

2- The scarcity of water for agriculture.

3- The law productivity of labor and capital and their reasons.

4-Deterioration the infrastructure of the agricultural sector and the supporting.

5-Quantitative and qualitative deterioration of agricultural wealth.

6- Agricultural legislations.

7- Farm management, ensure most important factor

8- Weakness of agricultural investment.

9- Scientific research and agricultural extension.

Challenges of the Agricultural Sector in Iraq



Introduction

The agricultural sector has many unique specifications represented by:

* This sector is treating with creature- animal and plant; both of them need different periods to reach the age of production. The substitution of dead plant or animal needs specific time to be productive.

* The uncertain relation between agricultural sector and environment circumstances affect the productivity directly.

* The relation among the agricultural sector and other Ministries especially Ministry of Electricity, the Ministry of Oil, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry Higher Education, the Ministry Interior Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transportation, as well as the special sector. These relations have an affect on the activities and production of the Ministry of Agriculture.

* The agricultural sector needs a large capital which its development is low when compares with another sector.

All these factors interfere and work together to affect the growth and development of the agricultural sector in a way differs from other sectors.



The most important challenges of Agricultural sector in Iraq:

First: The low productivity of the soil: Because of several interfered factors, the most important of these are:

* Water-logged and saline soil especially in the middle and south of Iraq.

* Low agricultural activities represented by preparation of soil, agricultural rotation, protection agriculture, pest control, organic agriculture and Agro-industrial integration.

* Desertification and increasing of dusty storms.

* Decreasing of rain–fed agriculture.

* Old agricultural mechanization.

* The lack of chemical fertilizers (quantitative & qualitative) as well as organic fertilizers.



Performances of the Ministry of Agriculture:

* Devising salinity–resistant varieties of wheat.

* The Ministry of Agriculture has adopted industrial and agricultural projects through importing of production lines of tomato paste and dates.

* The Ministry adopted a number of craft industries.

* Implementation of IPM in rain–fed areas funded by Australian side and in collaboration with ICARDA.

* Establish an organic agriculture center, IPM and using plant extracts as alternatives to pesticides and activates biological control which adopted the natural enemies that reduce the need for pesticides and reducing environmental pollution.

* Establishment of oases, clay coverage, natural plants and pastoral plants through the activities of the State Board for Combating Desertification.

* Spread the modern irrigation technologies through the national project for modern irrigation technologies.

* The State Company for Agricultural Supplies has adopted exhibiting the production of world companies of modern agricultural mechanization for sale to farmers and gets benefit from the loan from small farmers Funds as well as the Italian loan to provide agricultural equipment for the State Company for Agricultural Supplies.

* Giving permission to import chemical fertilizers according to valid measures and specifications.



Proposed Solutions:

* Reclamation of soil through an implementation of integrated networks of drainages starting from the field drains to the main drains and leveling of soil and leaching it from the salts. All these steps fulfill through reformation of an independent board connected to Ministers Council. This board should take on its shoulder the responsibility of reclamation of soil with all its aspects.

* Expansion of building small dams in rain fed areas for harvesting water.

* Establish research center to develop the rate of wheat yield up to 1 ton / donum as a first stage to take advantage from the results to develop the productivity of other crops and expand the applied and scientific research on a level farm.

* Inserting and increasing short-term growth period crops in cooperation with world approved institutes.

* Activating the role of agricultural extension, farm associations and Provincial councils, the use of agricultural rotations and protected agriculture.

* Investment alternative lands through making terraces in undulant, mountains and desert lands through using the researchable ground-water.

* Applying the integrated technical packages as in programmers of national development.

* Encouraging of the integration of Agro-industrial production to make use of farm‘s waste to feed livestock and cattle from the wastes of the animals to provide organic fertilizer which reduces the need for chemical fertilizers and protect the environment and ground-water.

* The optimum use of intercropping at orchards. Application of spatial agriculture like planting sesame after wheat or planting wheat after rice.

* Development of vegetation through the expansion of water harvesting and building small dams.

* Combating desertification through the adoption of the recommendations of the committee which studied the phenomenon of desertification problem according to Cabinet decision No. (18) for the year 2009 which approved according to the Council of Minister's decision No. 272 for the year 2009 and putting restrictions to prevent trespass on natural pastures in order to provide natural pasture for livestock.



Second: The scarcity of water for agriculture:

The agriculture sector is facing a real scarcity of water because of the lack of water revenues from the neighboring countries and stopped part of them. Most of Iraqi revenues of water come from outside of Iraqi border, also because of the global climate changes which resulted in reduced rain and high temperatures led to stifling drought. The main results are:

* Contraction of planting areas on the Euphrates basin, especially the areas of rice planting.

* Severe contraction in water revenues in the provinces like Diyala, Missan, Wasit, Kirkuk Sulaimaniya and Erbil resulted in the death of orchards, especially in Dyala province.

* Contraction of planted area at rain-fed areas.

* Rushing of saline water from the Arab-Gulf into Shatt Al-Arab resulted in loss of aquatic creatures, especially fish, and palm groves, animal resources because of saline water.

* Degradation of the quality of water came to Iraq (the high of salinity rate).

* The loss of an ability to achieve reclamation of the saline land due to inadequate water required to leach the soil during the process of reclamation as well as high salinity.

* The reflection of water scarcity upon the environmental situation led to contraction of the marshes and increasing of desertification.



Performances of the Ministry of Agriculture:

* Dissemination of intensive farming technologies for rice which achieve contraction of need of water by 50% and seeds by 20% and dispensing with weed pesticides accompanied increasing production by 30% - 40%.

* Making contract with Republic of Vietnam to buy seeding equipment and distribute them after their success.

* Encouragement of modern irrigation technologies and cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources to dig artesian wells.

* Work on importation of crops which resist salinity and drought such as Kencarpn, Pistachio and Bermuda grass.



Proposed Solutions:

* Intensification the efforts to reach to permanent solution to solve the problem of water revenues with neighboring countries (Turkey, Syria and Iran).

* Dissemination of modern irrigation technologies (sprinkler and drip) which should be used in the case of planting new orchards instead of flood irrigation and imposition of wages for using water.

* Investment of ground water under the supervision of Ministry of Water Resources, by using tightened control tools and prevents excessive use which leads to depletion of water supply, and focus on water extension as a means of education in this area.

* Lining the existing channels and study the possibility of changing them into closed system, especially in the areas of gypsiferous soil and put emphasis on the implementation of closed irrigation system (pipes) for new projects.

* Construction of dams and regulators to lift the level of water in the south of Iraq and in down streams which leave the rest of water go to the drains.



Third: The law productivity of labor and capital and their reasons:

* Unemployment and underemployment.

* Low skills of workers in the agricultural sector, including graduates of agricultural colleges and institutes and the specialties supported them .

* The low level of farm management.

* Small amount of capital invested in agricultural sector, especially for peasants and farmers and the lack of specialized agricultural associations.

* The low agricultural capital and its feasibility.



Performances of the Ministry of Agriculture:

* Development of employees in agricultural sector through involvement of specialized courses inside and outside Iraq.

* Coordination with faculties of agriculture to develop practical and scientific programs to rise the efficiency of graduates and signing a cooperation agreement with ministry of higher Education and Scientific Research in the year of 2009 to exchange experiences to solve the problem of the agricultural sector.

* Encourage the farmers to invest the Iraqi government initiative in agriculture to establish developing projects.

* Protection of the local product by forbidding import of vegetables through the seasons of abundance of production.



Proposed Solutions:

* Making the development of a comprehensive rural countryside closer to the city from all-round social, economic, cultural and health through the development of domestic industries at the level of family farming (such as carpets, cloak, domestic food industries, pottery, furniture industry of the palm leaf … etc.).

* The development of agricultural production towards investments the means of production and achieve the agro-industrial investment in the countryside.

* Increase the opportunities of training for the farmers, peasants and working staffs in agricultural sector within and outside Iraq.

* Raise the scientific efficiency of agricultural and veterinarians graduates that are unemployed to rehabilitate them for participation in agricultural investment.

* Expansion of dissemination typical farms for farmers and peasants which applied proper management.

* Intensify television programs aimed to clarify the successful farm management.

* Continue to work with specialized loan funds.

* Encourage farmers and peasants on saving and establish cooperative farm banks.



Fourth: Deterioration the infrastructure of the agricultural sector and its supporting sides which present in the following:

* Primitive means of transports, especially in rural areas.

* Decline the infrastructure and services in Iraq country side.

* Ineffectiveness of irrigation and drainage networks as a result of negligence and lack of maintenance that caused the growth of reeds, papyrus and occurred deposits.

* Serious weakness in the post harvest technology (frozen, refrigerated and regular storage; frozen, refrigerated and regular transports; screening, grading machines and packaging … etc.).

* The fragility of the material base for the growth of livestock, fisheries that presented by feed and veterinarian requirements.

* Decrease the big stations of cattles.

* Primitive slaughterhouses and meat production equipments.

* Limited seeds industry.

* Primitive marketing and trading agricultural product.

* Serious weakness in the rules of agro-industrial manufacturing.



Performances of the Ministry of Agriculture:

* Encourage the investment of agricultural Initiative for Iraqi Government in holding the projects at the service of post harvest production.

* The provision of feeds at subsided prices to livestock breeders which includes bran, barley, maize and dates.

* Genetic development for cattles through using the technology of free artificial insemination.

* Development feed industry (silage and hay) through the project of using modern irrigation techniques.

* Establishment a number of oasis to help livestock breeders in deserts through provision water for them and their animals by digging wells and planting with economic trees (date palm, pistachio and olive) and natural plant to be a source of pasture and increase the green areas to improve the environment in those areas.

* Dissemination the techniques of industrial multiplication for carp fish with reference to success of brown fish multiplication and release fingerlings fish free of charge especially into the marshes for the development of fisheries.

* Spreading fish breeding cages and promotion for investment in this field.

* Entering fish breeding technology in closed system.

* Spreading many hatcheries in the majority of important aquatic surfaces in Iraq.

* Entering fish multiplication technology according to the china system.

* Presentation the project of fishing harbor in Basra for investment.

* Making epidemic vaccination of certain diseases (Malta fever or Brucellosis and Foot and Mouth Disease or FMD) free of charge while giving the other part of vaccines supported by 50% as well as the treatments of veterinary medicines, diagnostic equipments to detect infectious diseases, especially Transboundary Animal Diseases (Avian Influenza) free of charge, as well as astreiginen medicine for loose dogs.

* Creation general directorate for slaughterhouses within the new Ministry of Agriculture Law which was approved by Ministers Council and is currently in Parliament that is waiting for approval.

* Holding projects with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the development of seeds production of strategic crops and vegetables, as well as maintenance plant and animal sources.

* Spread awareness in the field of Agro industry manufacturing through holding training courses and sending trainees abroad and inside Iraq as well as cottage industries.



Proposed Solutions:

* working with agricultural interests law to control the maintenance, clean-up, formation of associations of water users and application of the principle of participatory management.

* Showing maximum facilities for local and foreign investors to invest in the field of post harvest techniques and the provision of capital (investment funds) to spread these techniques by the private sector.

* Encourage the private sector to invest in cows stations and establishment the integrated industries for manufacturing and marketing products.

* Coordination between the relevant Ministries (Agriculture, Industry, Minerals and Trading) to support the local product to set a mechanism of regulation to exploit the industrial crops and the production of agricultural equipment and to ensure the conduct of the product after undergoing worldly quality control conditions.

* Encouraging the establishment of feed industry, protein concentrates, feed supplement from agricultural waste and food industries, such as starch, alcohol, dates and tomato paste.

* The establishment of agro-industry complexes and encourage investment in agro-processing.

* Present maximum assistance for the establishment of modern agricultural markets.

* Taking into consideration that the slaughterhouses are within the projects of public interest and the State will control the current slaughterhouses or reconstruction them through the promotion of investment in this aspect.

* Giving more attention to current seeds companies and resolve their existing problems.



Fifth: Quantitative and Qualitative Deterioration of Agricultural Wealth:

* Decreasing number and production of livestock (cows, buffalo, sheep, goats and camels).

* Deterioration of the poultry industry.

* Decreasing the fisheries and aquatic cultures in interior aquatic surfaces.

* Decline the numbers and date palms productivity.

* Deterioration of fruits orchard.

* Decreasing the areas of natural and artificial forestry.

* Losing and depletion the genetic saving for plants and animals.



Performances of the Ministry of Agriculture

* Working on genetic improvement for livestock through adoption the project of artificial insemination free of charge for the cows and using rams and shamea goats genetically improved for increased numbers of births, twins and improve the productivity specifications especially milk.

* Preparing the State Company for Livestock Services in the Ministry to invest the project of embryos transfer of cows through joint program between it and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), it was agreed to insert (2000) frozen embryos in 2010 and preparing the responsible staff to implement this project by sending a number of them to Australia to develop their experiences.

* The Ministry has prepared instructions for the import of living animals for the purpose of encouraging import varieties of breeding animals that fit the nature of the Iraqi environment.

* Providing support for the feed (bran, barley, maize and dates) as well as vaccines, subsidized veterinary treatments and loan funds.

* Existing a deer protective area in Al-Rutba that contains 870 deers, and will establish new protective areas that fed by the main protective area in Al-Rutba.

* There is current work to rehabilitate the project for poultry grandparents in Samarra that aims to provide the poultry sector projects with mothers of specific assets.

* Adoption and dissemination fish breeding in cages (intensive breeding).

* Adoption the tissue culture of date palm multiplication ,the project of development and descendant the old orchards for date palm, the establishment new orchards, import date palm seedlings productive with tissue culture and the laboratory of tissue culture donated by the Government of United Arab Emirates to the Iraqi Government during a visit of the Prime Minister to them.

* Ground and aerial combating free of charge the insects (Tropiduchidae, Ommatissus libycus and Cosmopterigidae, Batrachedra amydraula) on the date palm, while continuing to search for alternatives to chemical pesticides by using biological combating and plant extracts.

* Insertion species of different kinds of fruit trees from Italy and America and dissemination planting and breeding them in central Iraq areas, as well as spread the cultivation of high oil olive and pistachio.

* Support the production of forestry saplings and distribution them with simple prices and the establishment of industrial forestry.

* Creation a center of plant and animal genetic sources within the new Ministry Law.



Proposed Solutions:

* Continue to use artificial insemination and work on insertion embryos transfer technology to improve productivity efficiency of animals in addition to the importation animals for breeding.

* Stop smuggling through making price budget with the prices of meat in neighboring countries, through the support of breeders to encourage them for marketing inside Iraq.

* The adoption of import to cover the shortage in the number of animals at the start line.

* Protecting local products from dumping the markets with poultry products (anti-dumping, customs tariff) through the provision of fuel and electricity with subsided prices for the different poultry farms as well as subsidizing the feeds.

* Encourage investment in integrated projects (mothers, hatcheries, production stables).

* Emphasizing the prevention of over fishing and depleted fisheries and application the laws against offenders in the periods of fishing prevention.

* Encourage investment in fish production with cages system.

* Return for fishing on the high seas.

* Continue to extend the interior aquatic surfaces with fingerling fish and hand size fish.

* Encourage investment in the laboratories of tissue culture of date palm.

* Continue to combat the insects (Tropiduchidae, Ommatissus libycus and Cosmopterigidae, Batrachedra amydraula) as well as date palm stem borer.

* Continuing to subside the prices of dates purchase from the producers and the promotion the process of dates manufacturing, packaging and exporting.

* Permitting the establishment of orchards on unsuitable lands for crop cultivation as heights and uncultivated and desert lands that leased due the Law No. 35 of 1983 and make the period of lease 25 years and more.

* Preventing deforestation and punish the offenders and reforestation the natural forestry.

* Intensification the work in the green belts of cities and towns, reconstruction the old forestry and green terraces along the external roads.

* Allocation the required sums to restore the genetic storage to its former time (gene bank and botanical gardens).

* The establishment of natural protective areas in sites rich with biodiversity.



Sixth: Agricultural Legislations:

The agricultural sector suffers from the oldness and don’t convoy with global developments in the field of agricultural legislation that includes:

* Laws.

* Systems.

* Instructions.



Performances of the Ministry of Agriculture:

* The Ministry has prepared a draft of 15 project Law and amendment and 3 drafts for instructions and amendments related to the agricultural sector, now they are in different stages in specialized authorities for approval, in addition to the Law of the Ministry of Agriculture that was discussed in the Minister's Council and waiting for discussion and approved by Parliament.



Proposed Solutions:

* Amendment the laws to suit the new directions.

* Unification laws and legislations that address the same subject in one single form such as the subject of lands.

* Writing the final legislations with entering various amendments within the final text.

* Cancellation the legislations and instructions that are no longer needed.

* Facilitation the procedures of ownerships of the agricultural lands to the Ministry of Agriculture for purpose of establishing projects.

* To continue working with the standards concerning protection of local agricultural production to encourage producers to continue production and taking into consideration the permission for controlled import in times of scarcity of the local product.



Seventh: Farm Management ensures most important factors:

* Organizational structures.

*Planning and agricultural strategies.

*Administrative techniques.

*Loan policies.

*Agricultural insurance.



Performances of the Ministry of Agriculture:

* To hold specialized courses inside and outside Iraq.

* Start with work automation project in the Ministry.

* To continue working with the policy of agricultural loan through loan funds.

* To expand the authorities of Agriculture directorates.



Proposed Solutions:

* Cancellation the overlap in the work of some activities within the Ministry formations and agriculture directorates.

* To find an effective regulatory form for the coordination among Ministry of agriculture supported Ministries and Provinces Councils.

* To find a regulatory form to receive and diagnose the problems of agricultural sector which present to State Board of Agricultural Research in the coordination with research centers and universities, involve the agricultural extension in investment results of research for application.

*Emphasis on continuing making the strategic plans (short, medium and long term) in the light of policies and directions of Ministry of Agriculture.

* Continuous working in the specialized loan funds.

* Replace the policy of government compensations for the damage affect the agricultural production or farmer's property with agricultural insurance, and the government would support in the first stage of the application to cover some of insurance cost until stability of this policy.



Eighth: Weakness of Agricultural Investment:

For true investment in the agricultural sector, we need a large capital coupled with slow development compare with other sectors, this is difficult to provide through central government budget which requires the investment as an effective means to attract capital in addition to provide technologies and modern requirements necessary to develop the agriculture in Iraq.



Performances of the Ministry of Agriculture:

* Planning an investment map with the projects eligible for the investment that present to the national commission for investment, and promotion for it through the conferences and the meetings convened by Ministry of Agriculture.

Proposed Solutions:

* To continue the promotion for the agricultural investment in all Iraq provinces and the activities of concerned Boards and Companies of Ministry of Agriculture.

* To facilitate the procedures of investment to encourage the investors in the agricultural sector, especially the procedures of land allocation which is one of the main obstacles to implement the projects in agriculture sector.

* To encourage the investment in the field of establishing modern slaughterhouses that contains sections of meat industrialization according to the best international standards.



Ninth: Scientific Research and Agricultural Extension:

The most important elements for progress and prosperity in the agricultural sector are using the methods of scientific research and agricultural extension which achieved through the following:

* Scientific research.

* Agricultural extension.

* Technology transfer.

* Capacity building.



Performances of the Ministry of Agriculture

* Dissemination the results of scientific research, the modern technology, hold courses for developing farmers and transfer the modern technology through more than 57 extensional farms distributed in Iraq provinces belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture.

* The Ministry has signed number of understanding memoranda and cooperation protocols with a number of countries and organizations include Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Australia, Turkey, Iran and Arab organization for agricultural development in addition to the joint cooperation agreement between Iraq and America all of which contain scientific cooperation and capacity building.

* The Ministry has signed the mechanism of joint scientific cooperation with Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the field of scientific research and staff development through developing the opportunities of getting higher degrees (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) to the years from (2009-2015) and missions, conferences, seminars and other fields of cooperation.

* In the light of the visit of Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Nuri Al-Malike to Australia and the agreement with the Australian Prime Minister on the joint agricultural cooperation, the Ministry has received 125 scholarships in different agricultural specializations.

* Getting scholarships from U.S.A. Universities.

* Getting opportunities to study Master's degree in Italy.

* Giving a number of the Ministry employees study leave to obtain high diploma, Masters and doctorate in Iraqi universities.

* Getting specialized courses, workshops within the projects of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in India, Holland, Brazil, Britain, Australia, and others.

* Getting specialized training opportunities (outside Iraq) through the cooperation program with Australia, America, Italy, Japan and International center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas ICARDA, and Arab Center for Studies of Arid areas and Dry lands ACSAD.

* Getting training opportunities in different agricultural specializations support the agricultural sector from different U.S sides through the coordination with U.S. Agricultural Consult in Baghdad, and to invest the strategic cooperation agreement between the Iraqi government and U.S. government (SFA, Strategic Framework Agreement) on this side.

* Development the capacity of the staff working in the veterinary sector through the joint project with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

* Participation in conferences, seminars, and scientific visit outside Iraq as available opportunities.

* Participation in the conference, seminars and workshops that take place in Iraq by different sides.

* To hold training courses and different workshops by boards, companies and directorates belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture for the development of its staff.

* To continue the working of Ministry policy in holding agricultural scientific conference, finally holding the seventh scientific conference under the patronage of the Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Nuri Al-Malike.

* Regular issuance for the scientific journal (Iraq Agriculture Journal) which became controlled by Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

* Entering the technology of solar energy in the working of drip irrigation systems and the irrigation pumps used in the agricultural sector.



Proposed Solutions:

* To give the economic dimension for the scientific research and measure the value of scientific research to the extent of achieving value addition to the national income through applying its results and to consider the recommendations which make an improvement in the economic output for the concerning agricultural activity.

* Determine the priorities of the scientific research in the agricultural sector and supported sectors through making the requirements of the agricultural sector and spread it as an applied research points have the priority in the projects of high studies inside and outside Iraq.

* To study the situation of agricultural extension in Iraq compared with the development in the world, and existing alternatives to forms, methods, programs and concept of agricultural extension in developed countries.

* To find a scientific relation and continuous communication between the agricultural scientific research institutions and agricultural extension.

* Emphasis on scientific communication in all fields of knowledge through conferences, scientific visits, workshops and the internet.

* Activating the role of the institute for training and rehabilitation in the Ministry of Agriculture to develop the capacities of workers in the agricultural sector in all major activities.

* Providing opportunities for high studies (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) out of Iraq which ensures the global scientific communication.

* To give an award for the best applied research within the agricultural and veterinary specializations.

السلام عليكم

شكرا دكتور ميثاق على جهودك بنشر هذه المواضيع لكي يطلع عليها اعضاء المنتدى

في الحقيقة الموضوع يحتوي على فقرات عديدة ومتنوعة ويحتاج كل منها الوقوف للتعليق

لكن ساكتفي بالاشارة الى مسالة واحدة كونها تتعارض مع ما نشر في مساهمة اخرى عن ارقام تتعلق بالمسح الحيواني الشامل للثروة الحيوانية في العراق والذي اشارت احصائياته الى ارتفاع نسب تفوق الـ 100% باعداد الحيوانات ، وذكر التقرير في هذه المساهمة ما يلي
خامسا: التدهور الكمي والنوعي للثروة الزراعية:

* انخفاض أعداد وإنتاج الماشية (الأبقار، الجاموس، الأغنام، الماعز والجمال).
هسة شلون الرجاء فك هذا الالتباس [ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذه الصورة]

تحياتي



[ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذه الصورة]