Iraqi agriculture in crisis

Beset by a lack of expertise, capability and workforce, agriculture in Iraq — and other sectors of the economy — is dysfunctional.

In the mid-1990s, following the invasion of Kuwait, an economic blockade was imposed on Iraq, preventing the import of vital goods. Vast tracts of Iraqi land were used at the time to meet 50% of the domestic wheat demands.

According to experts, agriculture represented 7% of Gross National Product (GNP) in the 1990s.