BAGHDAD - Iraq has allocated 396,650 dunam (39,665 hectares) of land for rice cultivation in the 2021 season, the agriculture ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The country needs around 1-1.25 million tonnes of rice a year to satisfy domestic demand.

Iraq has reduced its rice cultivation in previous years in an effort to conserve water.

It banned rice planting in 2018 due to water shortages, but reversed the decision for the 2019 season when it had better weather and plentiful rain.

Last season Iraq cultivated 500,000 dunam of rice.

(Reporting by Moayed Kenany in Baghdad; writing by Amina Ismail; editing by Jason Neely) ((aziz.elyaakoubi@thomsonreuters.com; +971552994086; Reuters Messaging: aziz.elyaakoubi.reuters.com@reuters.net))