ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq has enough wheat in storage to meet domestic demand for another year and a half, the trade ministry said on Monday, assuring that food supplies remain stable despite disruptions to regional trade caused by the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran.
“There’s enough wheat in the warehouses for another year and a half,” Trade Ministry spokesperson Mohammed Hanoun told Rudaw on Monday, adding that this “ensures the stability of flour production and the supply of wheat to mills.”
His remarks come as the US-Israel war with Iran, which began late February when Washington and Tel Aviv carried out joint airstrikes against Tehran, has effectively halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global maritime chokepoint.
Hanoun said the government has prioritized safeguarding the country’s food supply.
“The food security file is among the government's top priorities, and our warehouses possess a large strategic reserve of basic foodstuffs such as rice, sugar, oil, and legumes, and the distribution of monthly food rations to citizens continues regularly,” he said.
He added that the ministry is taking steps to reinforce those reserves and prevent price gouging, noting that the government is also launching a plan to build modern silos and new grain storage facilities.