Al-Diwaniyah to become Iraq’s agricultural capital – Shafaq News

Shafaq News-
Baghdad

Iraq is
preparing to crown Al-Diwaniyah (also known as Al-Qadisiyah) as its
agricultural capital, betting on the province’s farmland to anchor the
country’s food supply.

Prime Minister
Ali al-Zaidi laid out the plan on Saturday after meeting a delegation of
lawmakers representing the province, the governor Abbas Al-Zameli, and local
council members, pledging one trillion dinars (about $760 million) to rebuild
the province and revive its farms.

Al-Zaidi called
al-Diwaniyah Iraq’s food basket, saying it earns special attention for what its
land and resources can deliver.

The money
splits two ways: 650 billion dinars for stalled ministry projects —led by the
province’s sewage network and a plan to upgrade 30 residential districts— and
350 billion dinars to settle overdue payments to farmers.

The prime
minister also ordered a larger share of water for the province, approved its
farming plan, and moved to clear the backlog of land-reform disputes.

On energy, the
province will draw a share of power generated by solar projects. On housing, it
enters the national million-plot program with no fewer than 100,000 plots
reserved for residents who own no home.

Al-Zaidi also
opened the door for agricultural engineers and veterinarians to own farmland
outright to work it, a move he framed as “building the sector and creating
jobs.”

Read more: Discover Iraq: Al-Diwaniyah, a province of untapped potential and neglect