New efforts to Improve Agricultural Methods in Iraq
Iraq's Minister of Agriculture, H.E Muhammad Karim Al-Khafaji, has received the Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Iraq (FAO), Dr. Salah Hajj Hassan, and his accompanying delegation, in the presence of the Ministry's Technical Undersecretary Dr. Mithaq Abdul-Hussein, the Ministry's advisor, Dr. Mahdi Damad Al-Qaisi, and Adviser Raed Haddad
During the meeting, H.E Al-Khafaji stressed the ministry's endeavor to achieve a qualitative leap in the methods of raising buffaloes, providing fodder and producing milk, and rehabilitating the infrastructure for agricultural projects in various Governorates, including Nineveh, Maysan, Basra and Dhi Qar.
While referring to the rehabilitation of the agricultural infrastructures in the governorates, the Minister underlined the need to establish Milk collection centers and to adopt advanced marketing methods.
He explained that there are large numbers of livestock in Iraq, and in various provinces, including Nineveh. From his side, Dr. Salah Hajj Hassan confirmed that the FAO has carried out many activities in Nineveh Governorate in the field of upgrading technical skills of producers providing them with advice and support of inputs to grow large areas of fodder crops, to benefit with feeding their while achieve appropriate economic viability for livestock producers.
FAO delegation also expressed full readiness to cooperate with the Ministry in providing support to the agricultural sector in Iraq, through research work, capacity building, agri-food businesses and agricultural value chains development.
The meeting ended with a strong emphasis on coordination and cooperation in light of the agricultural renaissance and the promotion of the local agricultural product.
(Source: UN)