Only 35% of the domestic market demand can be met owed to a number of underlying factors
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has not yet been able to fully eliminate the impact of the policies of the former Baathist Regime on the livestock farming sector, as the Farmers Union requests that the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources introduce new livestock farming methods which involve farmers in the process. The Ministry is querying livestock development in the coming three years.
From producer to consumer
Livestock farming was one of the major sources of income for Kurdish villagers in the past, which had made Kurdistan self-sufficient in terms of meat, dairy and other animal products, and was able to even export some portion of products to neighboring countries.
For a number of reasons the development in this sector has not been natural in the past three decades. One reason, which is still apparent was the effect of forced displacement of villagers to refugee camps, which according to Ramazan Mohammed Karim, Livestock Director at the Agriculture Ministry, has not only destroyed livestock levels but also impacted the psychology of the farmers, changing them from producers to consumers.
Drought
During drought-ridden years, in addition to the reduction in the number of livestock, the amount of feed also reduced significantly, something which forced farmers to abandon their jobs.
Rainfall levels have significantly reduced in Kurdistan over the past two decades, and some areas have faced serious drought as a result. Drought greatly diminishes agriculture as well as the drying up the feeding farms that are the main source of livestock feed in Kurdistan.
The spread of diseases
Another threat on the livestock in Kurdistan is the spread of numerous livestock diseases that kill large quantities of livestock in the region every year. The Farmers, Union argues that the reason behind this phenomenon is shortage in guiding teams, small number of veterinary centers and labs as well as negligence on part of the existing teams.
Shortage in the number of livestock washing places in the villages, provision of a small amount of vaccines, bad quality of medicine as well as livestock imports have played a significant role in the increase of diseases among livestock in the region.
The ministry has allocated IQD 1 billion (approximately USD 850 thousand) to buy vaccinations, and they refute the claim that the teams have been inattentive and state that they have been vaccinating livestock for free, but some farmers had not been willing to vaccinate their livestock.
Head of the Farmers Union, Head Nawzad Mohammed Ali, believes that for the exception of a few eastern countries, nowhere in the world is livestock farming conducted in these old ways, hence he suggested that KRG should adapt modern farming methods and train farmers accordingly.
"If livestock farming is changed to a modern farming method, Kurdistan would become a self-sufficient country in terms of livestock produce," argued Ali in an interview with the Globe.
Feeding
Support for farmers in the supply of feed has been weak and in some areas like Penjwen it has not yet been distributed. In Pishdar it was only distributed in 2008 and in Garmian only in 2009.
The amount used to be 6kg per animal, but this increased to 15kg per animal this year. However, in Duhok only 7kg was distributed.
An agriculture ministry official admits that the amount of the feeding assistance is small due to budget limitations, but their objective has been to prevent farmers from selling their livestock.
"Last year we have distributed 59,400 tons of barley over farmers with a 50% subsidized price, i.e. IQD 300,000 (approximately USD 250) per ton."
Since three years ago, the government is granting agricultural loans for livestock projects. Moreover, the government is planning to make changes in the types of livestock in the region.
Recently a few projects have been submitted to the Investment Board for modern livestock farming, especially cow farming, and there are currently two cow farming projects under implementation in Erbil.
Livestock Director at the ministry also claims that there are some farmers who are busy with building special livestock farming facilities and have decided to use modern livestock farming methods.
There are currently 3.5 to 4 million sheep and goats as well as 280 thousand cows in the region, a quantity that is insufficient to meet domestic demand. As Karim pointed out, it can only supply 30% of the domestic beef demand and 40% of the region's dairy demand.
Karim is hoping that this rate will significantly increase in the couple years as the new projects start production.
Farmers, needs
The demands of the Kurdistan Farmers Union include buying grade III wheat and barley by the government and storing it in silos, storing the residues at the mills and distributing them at reasonable prices, encouraging farmers to grow those plants that are used for feeding through agricultural loans, building feed factories, cleaning the springs and waters, building small dams in places where there is considerable livestock, digging wells, survey and statistics of livestock and disease types, identifying risks on livestock farming and strict monitoring of female livestock slaughtering regulations.
© The Kurdish Globe 2012
