Iraq has resumed rice cultivation after a two-year hiatus due to water shortages and is testing a water-efficient strain of rice, as reported by Reuters.
According to officials, the country has allocated 150 square kilometers (58 square miles) for rice cultivation this season and expects a yield of 150,000 tons, thanks to abundant winter rainfall and increased water flows from Turkey.
Iraq ranks among the top 10 global importers of rice and wheat, primarily to support a large food rationing program held over from Saddam’s era.
Hussian Mardan, the deputy chairman of the water, agriculture, and marshes committee in the Iraqi parliament, informed Reuters that they plan to expand agricultural land in the future by implementing drip irrigation for rice, which is currently being studied, potentially increasing the area to 1,000 square kilometers.
Iraqi agricultural scientists have created a new rice strain called Ghiri, a hybrid of the Amber and Jasmine varieties. This strain can be planted using fixed sprayers rather than traditional flooding. This season, it has been planted on a small scale for trials after successful testing at the Al-Mishkhab Research Station last year.
