Analysis of Milk Production and Trade in Iraq

Dairy farming plays an important role in rural economies, not only creating new jobs for rural landless and marginal farm laborers, but also contributing to the national economy. This sector also contributes to rural poverty reduction and inequity, while providing nutritional assistance to thousands of rural households. The production and trade of milk and dairy products have been increasing throughout the world due to their importance to human health and nutrition. The aim of this research is to analyze the production and trade of Iraqi milk and dairy products. For this purpose, the FAOSTAT dataset was used. World milk production was 886.86 million tons in 2020, and it is expected to increase by 2025. The most significant milk producers are India (21.74%) and the United States of America (11.42%), followed by Pakistan, China, Brazil and Germany. According to FAO data, the total number of dairy animals in Iraq increased by 16.2% in 2020 (12.4 million heads) compared to 2010 (10.4 million heads). Iraq's dairy market is heavily reliant on imports, as the country's domestic manufacturers can only meet less than 10% of domestic demand. However, the country is also among the top ten milk importers in the Middle East. The countries from which Iraq imports milk and dairy products have changed over the years due to political problems. For example, while the rate of milk imports from Turkey varies between 7% and 20%, it is between 0% and 85% for Kuwait.