Future of food security
Iraq looks toward AI, digital agriculture to bolster food production
BAGHDAD — Facing a growing global population and pressing concerns over food security, Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture is embracing artificial intelligence and digital technologies to boost agricultural production.
Dr. Mehdi Al-Qaisi, an advisor at the ministry, acknowledged challenges like climate change, drought, and land degradation in a statement to the state-run Al-Sabah newspaper and emphasized the need for alternatives to create a suitable environment for increasing agricultural production.
The ministry sees AI and digital agriculture as key tools. Investments in AI-powered machinery and equipment aim to achieve faster results with less effort, Al-Qaisi said, citing potential benefits in fuel efficiency, sustainable practices, and irrigation management.
These technologies offer further advantages in food processing and marketing. Precision agriculture utilizes sensors and data-driven irrigation systems to minimize water waste, a significant shift from traditional methods still used across Iraq’s important agricultural sector.
Al-Qaisi further highlighted the crucial role of data and information communication technologies in making agriculture more economic, sustainable, and efficient. He pointed to the integration of robotics and drones in tasks like soil analysis and pest control as examples of advancements.
The shift towards AI-driven agriculture aligns with global trends, Al-Qaisi noted with techniques like hydroponics that require less water and offer year-round production being explored as complements to traditional farming.
AI applications even extend to animal husbandry, with closed-system fish farming offering significant production increases.
Al-Qaisi expressed hope for the local sector to embrace these advancements and possibly introduce automation and modern technologies to reduce losses and wastage from seeding to consumption.
Local agriculture in Salah Al-Din boosted with modern irrigation systems
