Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) implemented a field activity to spray foliar fertilizer using drones in rice fields planted using mechanical transplanting in Najaf governorate in southwestern Iraq.
The FAO’s effort took place in cooperation with local authorities in Najaf and with support from the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources, according to a statement released by the FAO.
The initiative is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
In order to adapt to the conditions of water shortage and climate change, the initiative seeks to rationalize water consumption and increase production.
The FAO Representative in Iraq, Salah ElHajj Hassan, explained that drones are used to spray fertilizers to reduce pollution and production costs, leading to increased production.
In July, the Iraqi government started rice farming again after a suspension that lasted for two years.
Due to a lack of water, rice farming was put on hold for two years in Iraq. However, the country is currently studying a strain of rice that uses less water than the varieties that are typically cultivated, according to Reuters.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mahdi Al-Jubouri, explained that the Iraqi government has set aside 150 square kilometers (58 square miles) for rice cultivation this season, with an expected yield of 150,000 tons.
This comes after a two-year ban on rice cultivation, during which only 5 to 10 square kilometers of rice were planted each year for the purpose of extracting seeds due to a water shortage caused by dams constructed by Turkey and Iran, less rainfall, and other issues related to climate change.
After Iraq was a major producer of rice, wheat, and barley for decades, salinity in the soil, inadequate irrigation practices, droughts, and decades of conflict affected the country’s agricultural sector and made it a major buyer on international markets.
According to officials, Iraq would still need to import about 1.25 million tons of rice in 2024 to be able to fulfill domestic demand.
