Iraq's food stocks lowest ever

Azzaman: The country's food warehouses are running dangerously low, Agriculture Ministry's experts say.

In a study obtained by the newspaper, the experts say the current food capacity, estimated at nearly 2 million tons, though hugely insufficient, is at lowest levels ever.

All that Iraqi silos and warehouses can hold is about 2 million tons but most of these have run out of food, the experts say.

The study, written by Mohammed Manhal and Sami Khudayer, urges the government to construct new silos and warehouses to raise the country's grain storage capacity to 9 million tons.

Iraqis rely on government food rations without which millions of families would starve.

But the rations, introduced under former leader Saddam Hussein, no longer include the same amount food items Iraqis used to get before the U.S.-led invasion of the country.

Despite the allocation of hundreds of millions of dollars for food imports, Iraqis have rarely received their assigned share of food rations.

Many families even go without food rations for months and when the food arrives essential items are missing.

"The government has to expand the storage capacity," the experts recommend.

Even the current silos and warehouses are in need of repairs and rehabilitation.

The quantities lost in these silos reach 30% of the amount stored, the experts added.

They said the amount of food the government has in stores is much less than what the country needs in a month.

Iraq, an almost landlocked country, would be adversely affected if borders are closed for an extended period, they said.

The government also needs to build silos to store sugar, tea and legumes with a capacity of at least 3.5 million.

"We need to have enough food in our silos that is enough to feed the country for at least three months," the experts said. Link