Iraq trade minister pledges farmer payments to start Monday

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Trade Minister Mustafa Nizar al-Ani has pledged that payments to farmers and producers will begin on Monday, August 17, according to a statement from the press office of First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Adnan Finjan. The commitment came during a meeting between Finjan and the trade minister, where the deputy speaker's press office said al-Ani emphasized the need to accelerate payments owed to farmers. The minister promised that disbursements would begin on Monday and continue according to a set schedule. The Iraqi Council of Ministers approved on May 5 the settlement of outstanding dues to farmers covering both past and current seasons, and decided to include loan and interest amounts owed by the Ministry of Agriculture in the next draft general budget. The standoff over farmer payments has spilled into the streets this year. On May 3, dozens of farmers from central and southern Iraq staged a protest in Baghdad's Tahrir Square demanding payment of their financial entitlements, after which security forces dispersed the demonstrators using water cannons.