Iraq launches domestic zero-grade flour production

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Trade Minister Atheer Dawood Al-Ghurairy announced the launch of domestic zero-grade flour production in the country on Monday, as officials look to support expansion of the milling industry and reduce reliance on imports.

The initiative, a collaboration between the ministry, grain traders, and milling companies, seeks to produce high-quality flour that meets local demand and competes with imported goods, potentially growing Iraq’s position as a wheat exporter.

According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, an international trade monitor, Iraq ranked 77 among wheat exports with a total of $268,000 in 2022, while imports of wheat the same year topped $286 million.

Al-Ghurairy met with mill owners and grain traders during the meeting, according to a statement from the Trade Ministry, where he emphasized the importance of collaboration between various entities, including grain processing companies, commercial control departments, and the ministry. 

Hayder Al-Karawi, head of the ministry’s grain board, confirmed the arrival of a shipment carrying 36,000 tons of Australian wheat to Umm Qasr port in Basra on April 6. This shipment is designated for commercial mills producing zero-grade flour while another shipment carrying 50,000 tons of Russian wheat was also expected to arrive within days.