Iraq - US help farmers get started

A U.S. Department of Agriculture initiative to help Iraqi farmers implement new technologies and methods in the country.

Thirteen Iraqis — 10 from Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture, two from the University of Baghdad and an individual from the University of Babil — recently visited Texas as part of the Iraq Agricultural Extension Revitalization Project. The goal is to study different methodologies that may beneficial in Iraq.

The USDA project began in 2007 and is being implemented through a consortium of U.S. land-grant universities. Through it, American scientists and agricultural specialists work with their counterparts in Iraq. The Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture at Texas A&M in College Station is administering the program.

“This type of project is key to providing food security, improving rural livelihoods, providing sustainable resource management and increasing economic development in Iraq,” says Ed Price, director of the Borlaug Institute. “Efforts like these will help stabilize the country and provide greater overall security for the Iraqi people. The goal is to help achieve sustainable economic improvement for farmers and others living in rural communities throughout Iraq.”

Source: reuters

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