Baghdad: The Parliamentary Agriculture and Marshes and Trade and Development Committees have called on the government and relevant authorities to launch an immediate investigation into what they describe as 'unrealistic indicators regarding the sources of Iraq's wheat supplies.'

According to National Iraqi News Agency, MP Amir Al-Maamouri, a member of the Trade and Development Committee, raised concerns during a joint press conference about the Ministry of Trade's announcement that Iraq possessed a wheat stock sufficient until 2027, with an annual quantity of seven million tons. Al-Maamouri questioned the origin of these quantities given the severe water crisis and lack of rainfall since 2023.

He highlighted that the Ministry of Agriculture had instructed farmers to cultivate only 25% of their lands, equivalent to two dunams out of ten per farmer, which casts further doubt on the accuracy of the figures regarding the stockpile. Al-Maamouri added that there were indications from security and executive bodies that some of the wheat in state warehouses was old and being recycled as new harvests, describing this as a waste of public funds.

In addition, Al-Maamouri criticized the Cabinet's decision to refer forests for investment, considering it inconsistent with environmental preservation efforts. He accused 'hidden hands' of being behind the cutting of thousands of centuries-old trees.

He elaborated that the decision involved about eight major forests under the Ministry of Agriculture's management, with three already handed over for investment. Several provinces, he noted, had rushed to exploit forests near main streets, with the price of a single dunam reaching 500 million dinars, allowing brokers and dealers to seize them, cut down the trees, and replace them with new plantations.