As if the drought that Iraq is suffering from is not enough, the war in Ukraine and the high prices of fuel, seeds and fertilizers have cast a shadow since last February on the agricultural sector in Iraq with the increase in production costs.

Farmer Kamel Hamed, 53, looks with apprehension and concern at the wheat fields he grows in the village of Jaleha in Diwaniyah, central Iraq. This year, his harvest has halved due to drought and lack of water.

"Currently, there is an abnormal drought, even wells do not exist, and salt water comes out of them," Hamed said.

Like all farmers in Iraq, Hamed follows the directions of the authorities who buy their grain.

It determines the areas to be planted in each governorate and the irrigation rates, based on the amount of water reserves and rainfall.

And this year, due to the shortage of water, Iraq decided to cut its cultivated areas in half, and thus the amount of crops declined.

"This year, the dunam did not provide even 500 kilograms" of wheat, while in previous seasons it provided one ton, Hamed said.

The man is also aware of the extent of the impact of the war in Ukraine on the situation of Iraqi farmers, and he says - to Agence France-Presse - that it "affected the high prices of motor oil in local markets, and this added another financial burden on farmers."

All these factors put the man at a loss, saying, "I don't know how I will provide for my family. I don't have a salary or a job. Where do I go?"

Kamel Hamed harvesting wheat on his farm in the village of Jleha (French)

water shortage

Water scarcity remains the main factor straining Iraq's agricultural sector and the country's 41 million population.

They are gradually feeling the impact of climate change on their lives, starting with desertification, frequent dust storms, reduced rainfall and lower river levels.

The water issue is also an important strategic issue, as Iraq shares the waters of its historic rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, with Turkey, Syria and Iran.

Baghdad denounces the construction of dams by its neighbors, which reduces its share.

The Euphrates River passes in Al-Diwaniyah Governorate, where the village of Jleiha is located, and feeds it with 180 cubic meters of water per second.

But this season, as the head of the Water Users Associations Hani Shair explains, "it reached 80 cubic meters per second."

This drought is manifested in the decline in the waters of the Al-Thurima irrigation project, which feeds an area of ​​200,000 acres of agricultural land;

Some streams have dried up completely.

Bareer denounces the absence of solutions from the state, as the Ministry of Agriculture provided only 5 kilograms of fertilizer this year, compared to 40 kilograms in previous years.

He adds that under these harsh conditions, "the farmer will emigrate, leave the land and go to the city in search of any work."

For his part, the spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Hamid Al-Nayef, said that the authorities raised the selling prices of wheat, that the ministry would pay farmers about $500 per ton.

In turn, the Director of Diwaniyah Agriculture, Hassan Al-Waeli, explains that during the years 2019 and 2020, the amount of wheat that was produced reached 5 million tons, which ensured Iraq's self-sufficiency in this vital product.

But the current season - according to Al-Waeli - due to water scarcity and climatic changes has led to a 50% reduction in the agricultural plan.

The country is expected to produce between 2.5 to 3 million tons of wheat.

Al-Nayef says that the production of 3 million tons of wheat is not enough for Iraq's need for a year, explaining that this will pay for imports.

Iraq will also be affected by global market fluctuations and price hikes due to the war in Ukraine, although Baghdad imports wheat from Canada, Australia and the United States.

Al-Nayef explains that with the acceleration of the Russian-Ukrainian war, prices are rising even in the United States and other countries, based on supply and demand;

Countries that used to buy wheat from Russia and Ukraine usually tend to import from other countries.

Because of the war in Ukraine, the prices of fertilizers and insecticides have also gone up.

A worker turns wheat on a farm in the village of Al-Jaliha in Al-Diwaniyah Governorate (French)

farm migration

In Karbala (south of Baghdad), farmers and livestock breeders warned of a mass exodus, while they directed a request to the government for fodder.

Ayed Abd Bandar, one of the livestock breeders in the governorate, said that "the dire situation that sheep breeders are going through in Karbala governorate is due to the lack of rain this year and the high prices of fodder, which led to the sheep being killed or sold at cheap prices."

In an interview with the official Iraqi News Agency, Bandar warned of "a significant shortage of livestock in the country, mass migration to cities and the extinction or disappearance of the livestock profession in the near future."

For his part, Mahdi Saleh called "the government and the competent authorities to put an end to the monopoly of fodder in the factories and to prevent its sale to wholesalers or to certain people so that livestock breeders can buy it directly at moderate prices."