Framework For Rice Sales To Iraq Proves Successful

By Sarah Moran

USA Rice

BAGHDAD, IRAQ – Shipments to Iraq over the past two years have been predictable, something that could not previously have been said about this market. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between USA Rice and Al Awees, the entity purchasing rice on behalf of the government in Iraq, calls for annual purchases of 200,000 tons of U.S. rice which has been fulfilled for the past two years, and 80,000 tons has been sold thus far in the 2023-2024 cycle.

“Thousands of American farmers and rural communities rely on the income generated by U.S. rice exports to Iraq, and many more Iraqi families rely on our abundance of safe, nutritious high-quality rice," said Representatives Clay Higgins (R-LA), Rick Crawford (R-AR), and Julia Letlow (R-LA), in a recent letter to Iraqi Ambassador Alina Romanowski. 

The three rice state legislators thanked the Ambassador and her staff for their continued efforts to provide stability to the U.S. rice industry and encouraged her to continue to work with Al Awees to maintain the strong and mutually beneficial relationship. From the letter: “Since 2021, the U.S. rice trade with Iraq has operated under an extremely successful and predictable framework bringing certainty to both the Iraqi food distribution system and U.S. farmers.”

Rice is a staple in Iraqi diets yet local production is limited and imports are needed to meet their annual per capita consumption of more than 90 pounds. Iraq’s rice imports have increased over the past two years, from just over 1 million tons to nearly 2 million tons this year. The Iraqi government provides basic food items, including 3 kilograms of rice, to its citizens multiple times a year through the public distribution system.