Iraq begins construction of five new silos, expanding grain storage capacity

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Trade Ministry announced Friday the start of construction on five new grain silos and more than 206 rapid-storage bunkers as part of a five-year plan to build 40 facilities to strengthen food security.

“Iraq did not witness the construction of any silo from 1982 until last year, meaning for more than 42 years,” said Haider Nouri al-Karawi, director general of the General Company for Grain Trading, telling the Iraqi News Agency that the country needs at least 40 silos to ensure wheat is stored in regulated warehouses rather than open yards covered with tarpaulins.

The five silos were awarded to Swiss company Bühler in partnership with Samco for civil works, with each holding 60,000 tons for a combined capacity of 300,000 tons. They are distributed across Muthanna, Najaf, Kirkuk, Anbar and Wasit. Five additional silos are planned as part of the broader 40-silo target, which al-Karawi said requires seven to eight years at a rate of five silos annually.

The 206 rapid-storage bunkers, each with a capacity of 8,000 tons, were built this year and last as a lower-cost interim solution, bringing total bunker capacity to more than 1.6 million tons. The bunkers have allowed farmers in Muthanna and Karbala to unload crops locally rather than transporting them to more distant governorates.

Iraq procured more than 5.1 million tons of local wheat last marketing season, maintaining self-sufficiency for the third consecutive year and pushing strategic reserves above 6 million tons — enough to cover domestic needs through most of 2027. In the absence of adequate silos, wheat has at times been left in open yards during peak harvest seasons when intake exceeds storage capacity.