As the former Prime Minister of Iraq, Mustafa Al Kadhimi worked tirelessly to help ensure food security by creating a thriving agriculture industry. During Prime Minister Moustafa Al Kazemi’s tenure, the Iraqi government adopted the support of the private sector and the provision of development requirements, striving to overcome obstacles and provide an appropriate environment to attract both local and foreign investment in Iraq’s farming industry.
In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Media Office, it was revealed that Prime Minister Al Kadhimi visited several agricultural and animal production companies in Wasit Governorate, where he was briefed on the progress of work. The Prime Minister urged workers to exert maximum efforts to improve quality and increase production, as well as listening to project overseers discuss the issues they were facing.
Prime Minister Al Kadhimi highlighted the importance of promoting the agricultural reality in Iraq. The country’s farming sector had suffered a significant decline, not only due to wars and conflicts but also because of mismanagement, corruption and poor planning. The convergence of these multipronged issues was hindering the Iraqi farming industry from taking its rightful place as the leading revenue generating sector after oil. Mustafa Al Kadhimi pointed out that the government had, within the framework of planned long-term economic reform, adopted the support of the private sector, recognising its importance in achieving the goals of sustainable development and revitalising the Iraqi economy.
Prime Minister Al Kadhimi acknowledged that there were obstacles to overcome in terms of providing an appropriate environment to attract local and foreign investors in all fields, particularly the agricultural sector. However, during his time in office, Prime Minister Al Kahimi took significant steps to remedy challenges faced by the farming sector, including creating a loan scheme for agricultural development, recognising the need to invest in agricultural resources to revitalise the sector and create job opportunities for young people.
During his visit to Wasit Governorate, Prime Minister Al Kadhimi met with several officials, inspecting progress on Al-Dabouni silo and meeting with employees to discuss obstacles in receiving wheat from farmers. He also attended meetings with local farmers and agricultural college graduates, underscoring the importance of promoting the agricultural reality in Iraq, adopting modern agricultural methods and the development of agricultural industries. Mustafa Al Kadhimi stressed that his government supported all initiatives and plans designed to improve this important market sector.
At one of Wasit Governorate’s largest farms, Prime Minister Al Kadhimi was briefed on the process of harvesting wheat. During his visit, he directed the relevant authorities to help address problems faced by wheat farms across the governorate. He also visited the homes of several residents of the Karim Al-Jassem village in Al-Dabouni district, where he was briefed on their conditions and pledged to follow up on concerns raised.
Mustafa Al Kadhimi also met with Shakhawan Abdullah, Second Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives. A statement from Shakhawan Abdullah’s office revealed that developments in the farming industry were assessed at the meeting, along with efforts of national forces and parties to overcome crises and challenges.
Prime Minister Al Kadhimi and Shakhawan Abduallah discussed the steps and constitutional entitlements necessary to support farmers and the wider agricultural industry. They also reflected on recent security issues, formulating strategies to overcome challenges in this area by raising performance standards of security and military forces. Prime Minister Al Kadhimi and Shakhawan Abdullah highlighted the importance of continued cooperation and joint coordination between the legislative institution and the Council of Ministers, stressing the need for adoption of laws to ensure provision of services to citizens and enhancement of security and stability in all governorates.