Iraq says wheat reserves sufficient until 2027, ramps up domestic flour production

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s wheat reserves are sufficient to meet domestic consumption through early 2027, the Ministry of Trade said Monday, with current stocks exceeding 6 million tons and growing efforts to boost local white flour production.

“The amount of wheat marketed during the 2025 season reached 5.119 million tons, achieving self-sufficiency for the third consecutive year,” said Haider Nouri Al-Kar’awi, director general of the General Company for Grain Trade, in comments to the state-run Al-Sabah newspaper.

He said the volume marketed in 2024 was 6.302 million tons, compared with 5.194 million tons in 2023.

“Production over the past three years has exceeded 4.7 million tons annually, which is the amount required to meet local consumption,” Al-Kar’awi said. “Anything beyond that is considered a strategic reserve.”

Iraq’s current wheat stock stands at roughly 6.3 million tons, he said, enough to cover consumption needs through the end of June and maintain stability in the country’s wheat supply until early 2027.

Al-Kar’awi also said the government began producing white flour domestically in April 2024, with 10 to 12 mills now operational. “The project has succeeded in covering about 40% of imported white flour through local production,” he said. “We expect to achieve self-sufficiency in white flour within one to two years.”