Government commission begins work in Kirkuk to address wheat marketing

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A government commission appointed by Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaydi has begun work in Kirkuk to address problems in the local wheat market, the provincial agriculture directorate said. The commission announced that all wheat produced under the agricultural plan, as well as that grown outside the plan, will be received. Kirkuk Agriculture Director Zuhayr Ali Hussein said the body was formed under the chairmanship of Haydar Nuri Jabir, director general of the state grain trading company. Members include Yasser Hasan Salih, director general of the planning and follow-up department at the Ministry of Agriculture, and the economic security director of the National Security Service. Hussein said Kirkuk Governor Muhammad Siaman Agha could not attend the meeting because he was participating by phone in a memorial service for his father, but stressed the importance of cooperation in removing obstacles facing farmers. The meeting also decided to deploy National Security Service units at checkpoints that monitor wheat shipments between provinces. No further details were immediately available on the commission's timeline or expected purchases.