Economy Update – Baghdad
Rafik Al-Salhi, a member of the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee, emphasized the importance of local tomato production from the Zubair district, noting its ability to meet domestic market demands. He highlighted a decision by the Ministry of Agriculture to restrict the importation of tomatoes from all points of entry in Iraq to safeguard local farmers and products.
However, Al-Salhi indicated that the implementation of this measure has been hindered by both the federal and Kurdistan Regional Governments’ inability to regulate these entry points, resulting in uncontrolled imports of foreign tomatoes.
Al-Salhi has urged Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani to take direct action on this matter, advocating for the closure of these ports or a comprehensive ban on agricultural imports from these areas.
Additionally, he called for the economic committees to intensify efforts in monitoring the entities importing and selling non-compliant crops in the Iraqi markets, stressing the necessity to penalize violators across Baghdad and other provinces to ensure the protection of local farmers and products.
