ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s agriculture ministry announced on Thursday a new procedure to allow the import of chicken from the Kurdistan Region, lifting a ban that had been in place since January.
"Previously, importing chicken from the Kurdistan Region to southern Iraqi areas was banned, but we have now presented a procedure to the Kurdistan Region’s ministry of agriculture," Walid Zurfi, director of animal resources at the Iraqi ministry of agriculture, told Rudaw, adding that "upon its implementation, we will resume receiving chicken from them."
Firas Siddiq, director general of animal resources at the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, described the move as a “very good initiative,” noting that a committee from the Kurdistan Region is set to visit Baghdad to discuss implementation.
"A committee has been formed, and we will visit the Iraqi ministry of agriculture soon to discuss the procedures and mechanisms for exporting chicken," he said.
Iraq is the main buyer of Kurdistan’s live chicken, making the market susceptible to up and down political relations. Kurdish businessmen have taken losses when the Iraqi government bans products from the Kurdistan Region.
This year's ban, imposed on January 27, prohibited all poultry products from entering other Iraqi provinces due to concerns over potential disease transmission from poultry to humans.
Siddiq emphasized that the Kurdistan Region seeks a long-term agreement rather than a temporary solution to prevent future disruptions.
"We need to know what amount of chicken Iraq requires from us so that we can establish a mechanism based on the requested amount and maintain a balance among poultry projects," he said.
According to figures from the Kurdistan Region, the sector has significant capacity, with 1,995 chicken farms operating across the Region. More than 105 million chickens are raised annually, with production reaching approximately 250,000 tons per year.
Domestic demand totals 146,000 tons per year, with an annual surplus of around 104,000 tons being available for export.
The new agreement, once implemented, could help address the surplus issue while strengthening trade ties between the Kurdistan Region and other Iraqi provinces.
In May, Erbil and Baghdad reached an agreement to extend deadlines for cargo transfers and warehouse storage. The move aimed to ease weeks of disrupted trade between the Kurdistan Region and federal Iraq.