38,000 tons of fertilizer missing from Iraq farmers' union, reports allege

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Leaked information and published reports allege that roughly 38,000 tons of chemical fertilizer allocated for distribution to farmers have gone missing from the Iraqi General Federation of Farmers' Associations, in what is being described as a large-scale corruption case. According to the allegations, the fertilizers were among state-supported inputs provided to farmers to support domestic agricultural production. The reports also claim that real estate belonging to the federation was disposed of in an irregular manner, though specific transactions and parties involved have not been publicly identified. The scale of the missing quantity points to serious implications for the agricultural sector, and questions remain over how the losses will affect farmers and how far any investigation will extend. It was not immediately clear whether the federation would issue an official statement. The case is reportedly on the agenda of Baghdad-based oversight bodies, though no further details on the status of the inquiry were immediately available.