FAO: 70% of agriculture in Iraq declined during the last season

[size=52]FAO: 70% of agriculture in Iraq declined during the last season[/size]

[size=45]Translation / Hamed Ahmed[/size]
[size=45]The FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations revealed in a new survey report on food security and agricultural families in Iraq that 70 percent of farmers complained of a decline in their production during the previous agricultural season, blaming the drought and the lack of government support from providing them with fertilizers and seeds, and the high prices of agricultural inputs.[/size]
[size=45]According to the FAO report, which was published under the title (Data in Emergencies Monitoring) for the month of January 2022, it conducted the fifth round of the survey process on June 14, 2021 to monitor the agricultural situation in Iraq, its food security and what agricultural families suffer from, Samples were taken from 1,354 agricultural families in the various governorates of Iraq, specifically Nineveh, Dohuk, Diyala and Maysan, which represent the agricultural ecological areas in the country.[/size]
[size=45]The report stated that the information collected coincided with the harvest season, which extends from April to July, which was followed by a dry season and a lack of rainfall during the agricultural season (October and November 2020) and drought during the agricultural season (February to April 2021). The survey conducted by the FAO coincided with an increase in cases of corona disease across the country and the advent of a third wave of the epidemic, which began at the beginning of June and reached its peak until the end of July.[/size]
[size=45]The organization's report indicated that while 78 percent of those surveyed indicated that their main source of income is agriculture and agricultural production, 70 percent of them mentioned a decline in agricultural production and a decline in their income during the past three months. The report stated that one of the reasons for this decline in production is the drought, which in turn affected the harvest, as well as the depreciation of the currency, which in turn leads to a decrease in income amid the high costs of the agricultural product.[/size]
[size=45]Among the factors that most affected agricultural production during the previous season, according to the information collected, was the drought factor, as 61% of farmers referred to the drought factor that affected their income and agricultural production. 55% of them were concentrated in the governorates of Diyala and Dohuk, and 30% in Maysan and Nineveh.[/size]
[size=45]The report indicated that 85% of agricultural families mentioned that they work in the field of crop production. 74% of them expressed difficulties in production during the past three months, and attributed the main reasons for this to the difficulty of obtaining fertilizers and the difficulty of obtaining seeds and insecticides, and indicated that the high prices of these imported materials due to the devaluation of the dinar and the currency difference affected them greatly.[/size]
[size=45]In addition to the drought factor that was influential according to the survey, 45% of those surveyed of agricultural families expressed another challenge, which is the difficulty of obtaining irrigation water, and 41% of agricultural producers expressed difficulties in selling their crops due to low prices and high marketing costs. This came due to the poor quality of the crop of wheat that they produced compared to what is available in the market during the previous harvest season, and they were forced to sell the crop at lower prices than they were accustomed to in the past.[/size]
[size=45]With regard to livestock, 88% of farmers expressed production difficulties in purchasing feed for them, the spread of diseases among domestic animals, and the difficulty of delivering water to their livestock. 62% of farmers indicated that the number of livestock they have decreased compared to the previous year, and 41% of them expressed difficulty in selling them due to their low price.[/size]
[size=45]Among those surveyed of agricultural families, 98% of them expressed the need for assistance during the next six months, among them agricultural producers, and 91% of them needed support in the field of fertilizers, while 71% of them mentioned the need for seeds and 48% mentioned Some of them need irrigation water. And 91% of livestock breeders indicated the need for support by providing fodder.[/size]
[size=45]Among the recommendations included by the FAO is that due to the decline in the source of income for farmers during the past three months, and in order to provide these needs to the most affected agricultural families, cash and exchange documents must be distributed in coordination with the World Food Program (WFP).[/size]
[size=45]The organization also recommended that in view of the difficulties encountered by families in the field of agricultural and animal production, seeds should be distributed to needy farmers, as well as feed and supplementary foods to livestock breeders.[/size]
[size=45]The organization also mentioned in its report that in order to alleviate the consequences of drought and the difficulty of obtaining irrigation water and to avoid the water scarcity crisis, surface water resource technologies must be developed in dry lands and grazing lands. The risks of conflict over water resources can be reduced by enhancing agricultural life among IDP returnees and their host communities, and by introducing measures to mitigate the consequences of drought through soil and water conservation measures and the preservation of the farming environment.[/size]
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