Baghdad: The 17th Agricultural Week Exhibition for Agricultural and Livestock Production Equipment and Food Industries commenced today at the Baghdad International Fairgrounds, highlighting the theme “Supporting Agriculture for a Sustainable Future.” The event sees the participation of 209 local and international companies, showcasing innovations in the agricultural sector.
According to Iraqi News Agency, Saleh Al-Tuwaijri, an expert in plant tissue culture biotechnology, emphasized the significance of Saudi-Iraqi cooperation in the agricultural domain. During the exhibition, he noted the Iraqi government’s encouragement in establishing a company branch dedicated to transferring modern agricultural technologies to Iraq. Al-Tuwaijri stated, “Our presence in Iraq to participate in Agricultural Week aims to build Saudi-Iraqi cooperation, support agricultural technologies, and transfer plant tissue culture technology from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Iraq, which will contribute to strengthening agricultural an
d economic investment between the two countries.”
Al-Tuwaijri further revealed the collaborative goal to increase Iraq’s date palm population from approximately 20 million to 30 million. He highlighted that “the modern technologies we possess will contribute, over the next five years, to producing between 30 and 40 percent of Iraq’s date palm needs, reaching the target of 30 million.”
He underscored that “these steps reflect the depth and strength of the relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, particularly in the field of agricultural technology transfer and the development of joint investment.” Additionally, Al-Tuwaijri acknowledged the logistical support provided by the Iraqi government, which facilitated the establishment of the company and the setup of biotechnology and plant tissue culture laboratories. He mentioned that “the laboratory is now operational and in its final stages, with logistical support from the Ministries of Agriculture and Trade, paving the way for the transfer of modern agricultura
l technologies and techniques to Iraq.”