Iraq sees wheat output at 2.2 million tonnes

Iraq expects its wheat production to reach 2.2 million tonnes this year and rise to around 3 million in 2012 thanks to improved irrigation, an agriculture ministry official said on Monday. Deputy Agriculture Minister Ghazi al-Abboudi's comments contradicted grain board chief Hassan Ibrahim's forecast for 2011 wheat production.
Ibrahim said last Monday that drought was expected to cut the national wheat harvest to 1.75 million tonnes. "No, no. It is expected to reach 2.2 million tonnes or more (for 2011)," Abboudi said. Iraq is one of the world's largest grain importers, supplying a large public food ration programme. It consumes 4.5 million tonnes of wheat and 1.2 million tonnes of rice a year, most of it imported.
Abboudi said he expected 2012 wheat production to reach 3 million tonnes due to improved irrigation methods. Abboudi told Reuters in March that Iraq planned to start an eight-year, $700 million irrigation programme this year, part of a plan to increase wheat production by more than 60 percent to 3 million tonnes.