Basra- The suffering of tomato farmers in Basra Governorate in Iraq is repeated every year due to the competition of its Iranian counterpart, which leads to a significant decrease in their crops with the surplus production of need and the competition of its less expensive imported counterpart, which makes them unable to cover production costs and achieve rewarding profits.
Although agriculture is one of the vital sectors in Iraq, and contributes to providing food and job opportunities and achieving sustainable development, this sector faces great challenges that impede its development and affect the ability of farmers to continue to grow their lands, especially with the continued flow of Iranian tomatoes at times from Basra outlets and at other times From the outlets of the Kurdistan region.
Prices do not cover costs
Abu Saif Al -Daraji, one of the farmers in Basra, says that the prices of tomato crops are not commensurate with the costs incurred by the farmer.
In a comment to Al -Jazeera Net, Al -Daraji explained that “the tomato crop season in Al -Zubayr is still continuing and in aspects, and the market is now sinking with its tomatoes,” noting that the peasants’ complaint of low prices is due to tomatoes imported from Iran through the outlets of the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
He explained that these measures have harmed a lot in the governorate, which does not find a response to it in the case of closing other provincial outlets at the time of the peak of the local crop.
Al-Daraji added that the tomato box weighs 13 kilograms, the price ranges between 5 and 6 thousand dinars (3-4 dollars), and therefore the benefit of the farmer is simple or sometimes non-existent due to the presence of other costs such as seeds, fertilizers, packaging bags, transportation wages and other costs.
Al -Daraji pointed out that the citizen is looking for the inexpensive and good commodity without regard to the interest of the farmer or the local producer, and he is excused in this matter and does not concern him if these crops came from import or smuggling or through the Iraqi farmer.
700 thousand tons of tomatoes produced in Basra
The director of the Directorate of Agriculture in Basra, Hadi Hussein Qassem, confirmed to Al -Jazeera Net that the areas planted with the tomato crop in the governorate exceeds 21 thousand dunums, and are concentrated in the areas of Al -Zubair and Safwan, noting that the expected production of this crop may reach 700 thousand tons.
Qasim explained that the Planning and Follow -up Department, the Marketing Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, is concerned with preparing agricultural calendar, and monitoring prices and markets, and in the event of a surplus crop on need, directed to the border authority is issued not to allow this crop to enter, and in the event of a shout, it is directed to allow it to enter it .
He added that tomatoes are the most important crop in Basra Governorate, which is currently witnessing the peak of production, stressing that the cultivated areas are “very large.”
Qasim said that they announced a few days ago the self -sufficiency in Basra Governorate, and they started marketing the surplus of these quantities to all other Iraqi provinces at reasonable prices.
Closing
Regarding the borders, Qasim explained that it is affiliated with the border ports authority and is managed by the federal government, and that there is a focus by the prime minister and directives by the Ministry of Agriculture to close the border during this period for the crop of tomato It leads to the entry of large quantities of Iranian tomatoes through these outlets for Basra, as he put it.
Qasim called on all the concerned authorities in the Ministry of Interior and the border regions Authority to focus and great attention to protecting the local product and not allowing Iranian tomatoes to enter Iraq.
As for the prevention of the entry of crops imported from Iran through the rest of the provinces to Basra, Qasim explained that the task lies with the Ministry of Agriculture and not the Basra Agriculture Directorate or other directorates, and that there are directives by the Minister of Agriculture Abbas Jabr Al -Ali Al -Maliki in coordination with the authorities and the Ministry of Interior to renew Inspection on these cars that transport these tomatoes to Basra Governorate.
Qasim expressed his hope that the entry of these imported crops will be controlled, stressing that the major quantities in the market are from the local product.
He said they hope that work will be tightened to prevent the entry of tomatoes imported from Iran.
The quality of the local crop
For his part, the vegetable seller, Laith Al -Basrawi, stressed that the tastes of citizens differ, some of them want to buy local tomatoes for the quality of their taste and shape, noting that there are citizens who do not want to buy imported tomatoes, especially Iranian, because their taste is not good compared to zipperi tomatoes.
He explained in an interview with Al -Jazeera Net that the tomatoes in the market are divided between Iraqi and Iranian, and as a result of the competition, the Iraqi crop decreased, and said that if the importer of the importer of Iran is banned, local prices will rise in the interest of the farmer.
He added that dumping the market in quantities exceeding the consumer’s need of Iranian tomatoes made the Iraqi farmer lose in selling its crops whose prices have decreased to very low levels, until the price of the box reached less than the cost price at times.
Al -Basrawi pointed out that the Iraqi tomatoes planted in the Zubair region are among the best types in terms of taste and shape, noting that the period of entering the markets does not exceed a month to a month and a half.
