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Iraqi Agriculture in Crisis

Agriculture in Iraq is experiencing a downturn as farmers leave their family trades for more lucrative government positions with steady salaries and government benefits, writes Omar al-Shaher.
A farmer sows seeds of cucumber at his farm near an oilfield in Iraq's southern province of Basra August 12, 2010. The fertile acreage atop some of the world's largest oilfields has been farmed for dates, melons and vegetables for centuries but the tribes that work the land fear they are being pushed aside in the rush to develop Iraq's vast reserves. Picture taken August 12, 2010. To match Feature IRAQ-OIL/FARMS  REUTERS/Stringer (IRAQ - Tags: ENERGY AGRICULTURE BUSINESS) - RTR2HDNU
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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.

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