Representatives of farmers from the Kurdistan Region gathered in front of the Iraqi Ministry of Trade in Baghdad today, calling on the federal government to pay the remaining funds owed for their wheat. The farmers are demanding the payment of 438 billion dinars, which they say has been delayed for several months.

"We came from various cities and towns across the Kurdistan Region to find out why the payment for our wheat, purchased by the federal government, has been delayed," one of the protesting farmers told Kurdistan 24. He explained that while the Kurdistan Region was allocated 700,000 tons of wheat, they delivered 684,000 tons, falling 16,000 tons short of the specified amount.

The farmers claim that the funds allocated for their wheat were instead diverted to pay for wheat in central and southern Iraq. "The federal government was supposed to receive 5.5 million tons of wheat for all of Iraq but ended up receiving an additional 800,000 tons. They paid for this using the money intended for our wheat," the farmer added.

According to the farmers, what was supposed to be a straightforward payment has now become a debt owed by the federal government. "Our payment was expected within one week, but three months have passed, and we are still waiting," the farmer lamented.

Iraqi parliament member Briar Rashid, who joined the protest, highlighted that the issue is not just about delayed payments but also about longstanding injustices faced by farmers in the Kurdistan Region. "This problem has persisted for years, and we are here to resolve it," he said.

Rashid criticized the Iraqi Ministry of Trade, accusing it of neglect and bias. "The Ministry claims a lack of liquidity, but this is due to a lack of coordination and pressure on our part. The Ministry is discriminating between farmers in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, which is unacceptable. We must ensure that these farmers get their rightful payments," he stated.

The farmers vowed to continue their protests until their demands are met, raising concerns about the ongoing strain between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government.