Resumption of Poultry Exports to Iraq
Following a 15-day suspension, the export of poultry products from the Kurdistan Region to Iraq has reinitiated, with over 23,000 cartons of eggs shipped on the inaugural day.
On February 11, 2025, Firas Sadiq, the Director of Livestock at the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Agriculture, confirmed that 29 trucks carrying eggs were dispatched to various Iraqi provinces. The breakdown of exports included 13 trucks from Sulaimani province, 10 from Erbil, and 6 from Duhok, with each truck loaded with approximately 800 cartons of eggs.
This first-day export totalled 23,200 cartons of eggs sent to Iraq. Additionally, the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture announced the results of laboratory tests for poultry diseases conducted in the Kurdistan Region. The findings have prompted the KRG representation to implement control measures, including cleaning and quarantine protocols, especially in the area of Makhmur, where one positive case for poultry waste has been identified, necessitating a halt in breeding activities.
On January 27, 2025, the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture, under the directive of Minister Abbas Jaber Maliki, stated that laboratory results would confirm the cleanliness of poultry projects in the Kurdistan Region from bird flu, thus facilitating the export of these products to other Iraqi provinces. The ministry noted that the tests were successfully passed before the resumption of exports.
The Kurdistan Region boasts an annual chicken meat production exceeding 270,000 tons, while local consumption stands at about 150,000 tons. The surplus produced is then exported to various Iraqi provinces. Currently, there are 1,959 poultry houses in the region, although not all of them are in continuous production.
