Exports of Irans agricultural products to Iraq

1. Export of Iranian Agricultural Products to Iraq

The export of Iranian agricultural products to Iraq has significantly increased over the past decade, especially after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the relative improvement in Iraq’s security conditions. According to Iranian customs statistics, in 2021 (1400 in the Iranian calendar), Iraq was the second-largest export market for Iranian agricultural products, accounting for more than 20% of Iran’s agricultural exports.

This export includes fruits such as apples and oranges, vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers, and other strategic products such as wheat, dates, pistachios, and saffron. Given Iraq’s food needs, due to domestic production shortages and the destruction of agricultural infrastructure as a result of internal wars and terrorist attacks, this trend is expected to continue.

2. Cooperation in Water Resource Management

Historically, managing shared water resources between Iran and Iraq has always been a sensitive issue. In recent decades, particularly from 2019 to 2023, increased dam construction and unbalanced use of shared water resources like the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have caused tensions in bilateral relations. This issue has had direct impacts on the agriculture of both countries.

In 2022, Iranian and Iraqi officials held several joint meetings to resolve water disputes and establish mechanisms for cooperation in this area. However, due to climate change and reduced rainfall, challenges related to water management remain significant in both countries.

3. Joint Investments and Knowledge Exchange

Since 2015, with Iraq’s reconstruction and its need for agricultural development, Iran and Iraq have taken serious steps in exchanging technical knowledge and modern technology. With extensive experience in areas such as drip irrigation and agricultural mechanization, Iran has been a key provider of technical knowledge for Iraq in these fields.

In 2019, several Iranian companies invested in agricultural projects and infrastructure development in Iraq. These investments were particularly focused on greenhouse operations and new irrigation technologies aimed at increasing Iraq’s agricultural productivity.

4. Challenges and Opportunities

One of the major challenges in agricultural relations between Iran and Iraq has been customs issues and unstable tariffs, which became more prominent in 2020 and 2021. Additionally, price fluctuations of agricultural products and security conditions in border regions have affected the trade relations of the two countries.

Nonetheless, Iraq remains a large market for Iranian agricultural products. The geographical proximity and Iraq’s need for imported food create significant opportunities to expand cooperation in this sector.

Sources and References

1. Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration: Data on Iran’s agricultural exports to Iraq and other countries are periodically published by the Iranian Customs Administration. These reports include detailed information on the volume and value of agricultural exports.

Link to website: irica.gov.ir

2. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): The Food and Agriculture Organization provides international agricultural data as well as reports on water resource conditions in Iran and Iraq.

Link to website: fao.org

3. Ministry of Agriculture Jihad of Iran: Information on international agricultural cooperation between Iran and Iraq, particularly in the field of modern agricultural technologies and knowledge exchange, is published by this ministry.

Link to website: maj.ir

4. Iran Water and Wastewater Company: Reports on the management of shared water resources between Iran and Iraq, which have been particularly important between 2019 and 2023, are provided by this organization.

Link to website: niwa.ir