Masrour Barzani Directs Formation of Committee to Receive Wheat Harvest from Kurdistan Farmers

ARK News.. The process of receiving this season’s wheat harvest officially began across the Kurdistan Region on Saturday, amid new organizational measures that rely entirely on a digital system aimed at eliminating queues and ending chronic congestion at government silos.

According to Kurdistan24, Nawzad Sheikh Kamil, Director General of Trade in the Kurdistan Region, stated that the government's official plan targets the procurement of 400,000 tons of wheat through state-operated silos.

He noted that Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has directed the formation of a special ministerial committee to coordinate with the private sector to absorb and purchase surplus wheat production, ensuring that farmers’ efforts are not wasted.

Sheikh Kamil explained that the financial and administrative framework for purchasing the crop has been divided as follows:

Within the official government plan: 292,000 tons will be purchased at a subsidized price of 700,000 Iraqi dinars per ton.
Outside the official plan: 108,000 tons will be purchased at 500,000 Iraqi dinars per ton.
Provincial Allocations

The designated wheat procurement quotas for each province are as follows:

Sulaymaniyah: 150,209 tons
Erbil: 122,680 tons
Duhok: 116,083 tons
Halabja: 11,028 tons

The government’s move comes in response to growing dissatisfaction among farmers across the Kurdistan Region regarding the procurement quotas allocated by the federal government in Baghdad. Farmers argue that this year's abundant harvest significantly exceeds the quantities approved for purchase.

Meanwhile, the Erbil Grain Trade Directorate issued a new operational guideline, confirming that scheduling appointments for wheat delivery will now be conducted exclusively through an electronic platform. Farmers are required to reserve delivery slots online before transporting their wheat to storage facilities.

Four Key Requirements Under the New Delivery System
Mandatory Digital Registration:
Booking a delivery slot through the electronic platform is compulsory. No wheat shipment will be accepted without prior registration.
Strict Adherence to Appointment Times:
Farmers and their trucks must arrive on the scheduled date. Failure to appear will result in automatic cancellation of the reservation, requiring a new application.
Accurate Information Submission:
Any errors or discrepancies in the data entered into the system will lead to the truck being denied entry to the silo premises.
SMS Confirmation:
Farmers will receive a text message confirming successful registration and specifying the final delivery date.

The Directorate emphasized that the primary objective of the new digital system is to streamline the procurement of strategic crops, save farmers’ time, and completely eliminate traffic congestion and overcrowding at storage centers.

112