In June 2024, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) inaugurated a 40,000-ton silo in Erbil’s Qushtapa district and laid the foundation stone for a similar silo in Halabja, reaffirming its commitment to supporting farmers and reviving agriculture in the Kurdistan Region.
The Kurdistan Region enjoys a vast area suitable for farming with access to water resources. According to data from the KRG Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, the Kurdistan Region boasts 1,696,816 hectares of arable land, together with 56,542 hectares of orchards. Fed by five main rivers, these farmlands produce more than 2.5 million tons of crop every year.
With that said, the KRG’s Ninth Cabinet aims to develop its industrial infrastructure to enable the rapid development of its agriculture sector. Prime Minister Masrour Barzani promised in his inaugural speech back in 2019 to spearhead the revival of agriculture and, in line with that, develop industrial infrastructure while also finding markets abroad.
A key element in a country’s food security is its storage capacity, namely the silos that store and preserve vital grains for long periods of time. According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, there are 11 silos in the Kurdistan Region with a total storage capacity of 486,000 tons, supported by several dozen bunkers and special warehouses capable of storing over 373,000 tons of grain for shorter periods of time.
Food security strategy
To discuss the topic, Kurdistan Chronicle sat down with Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Sarwar Kamal Hawari. He explained that the KRG has taken the harder – but more strategically sustainable – route to secure a better future for the region’s food security.
According to Hawari, the KRG has put into action a comprehensive plan to move away from importing food products and instead rely on local products in the long run.
“Food security generally can be achieved in two ways: you either send huge amounts of cash abroad to import food products, or you develop your own agriculture sector to meet the local demand and, ideally, export to foreign markets. The latter is the option that the KRG has chosen,“ the deputy minister explained.
Construction of silos
Since the inauguration of the KRG Ninth Cabinet, three silos have been constructed with a total budget of over $40 million. Built in Qushtapa, Kalar, and Rovia, the silos can store 120,000 tons of grain every year.
“Since Prime Minister Barzani laid the foundation stone of the Halabja silo in June, we have completed 25% of the storage facility. In Zakho, we are finalizing the design phase to build an additional silo in order to boost storage capacity in the area,” Hawari explained.
The locations designated for silo construction lie primarily on the major plains of the Kurdistan Region, where fertile land allows for increased cultivation. Among these areas are the Shahrizor and Rovia plains, respectively located in the Sulaymaniyah and Duhok governorates.
Statistics obtained by Kurdistan Chronicle show that out of 11 silos, four are located in Duhok, five in Sulaymaniyah, and two in Erbil Governorate, in line with the distribution of major agricultural areas in the Kurdistan Region.
Hawari noted that the long-term plan is to develop the Kurdistan Region into an agricultural producer that is not only economically self sufficient but also serves as the food basket for the wider region.
“Economic development has a multiplier effect. We are building more and more silos equipped with modern technologies, which means farmers can produce more and food factories can flourish, too,“ Hawari said, highlighting the strategic importance of the KRG’s plans with regard to silo construction.
Agriculture: a top priority for the KRG
“Agriculture is the backbone of the Kurdistan Region’s economy, and we want our farmers to be assured that their products are not wasted,“ Prime Minister Barzani said last June while delivering a speech during the inaugural ceremony for the Qushtapa Silo, some 20 kilometers south of Erbil.
“We will support the farmers of the Kurdistan Region in every way and, with the cooperation of the private sector, we will work to promote and develop the food industry,“ the Kurdish leader added.
On a separate note, the KRG initiated the region’s first non-oil exports in 2023. The products shipped to the Gulf countries, the UK, and several EU destinations were mainly agricultural produce, including honey, pomegranates, and apples.
The exports are aligned with the KRG’s plan to diversify the economy and rely less on oil exports, which are frequently challenged by political disputes with Baghdad.
Last year at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum, Prime Minister Barzani pointed out that his cabinet has been taking constructive steps to diversify the Kurdistan Region’s economy, in a way that gives the nation a buffer against the uncertainty of global energy prices.
“This diversification – focused principally on the agricultural, manufacturing, and services sectors – will be in addition to our energy sector, not an alternative,“ the Kurdish leader added.
Sardar Sattar is a translator and journalist based in the Kurdistan Region. He has translated several books and political literature into Kurdish and English. He writes regularly for local and international newspapers and journals.
