Iraq COVID-19 Food Security Monitor Weekly Update - Issue 1, 14 April 2020
I. Key messages
The Government of Iraq (GoI) has taken measures to allow the food supply chain to function normally, thus food production and supply (including imports) are generally stable and adequate for consumers.
Farmers and livestock owners can travel to their farms during the curfew without registering with officials.
Food prices are generally stable; however, certain staple foods have increased in fragile and less shock-resistant areas of Iraq, especially in Diyala, Duhok, Wassit and Ninewa.
The outlook for the upcoming barley and wheat harvests (2019-2020) is good, and GoI continues to facilitate the harvest and storage of the crops, in addition to purchasing and selling farmers’ products at subsidized prices.
Farmers are concerned about the drop in oil prices and resulting loss of fiscal revenue for GoI as it may affect the government’s ability to purchase their crops.
Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) reported locusts in southern Iraq, but have conducted control operations and continues to monitor the populations.
