Making Iraqi Cattle Farms Viable
Thanks to Tigress and Euphrates the two Biblical rivers from the Garden of Eden, Iraq once had excellent agriculture and its surplus to export to neighbouring countries. Now, the strife torn country presents a different reality altogether. The shadow of economic gloom looms large due to lack of governance, inadequate livelihood options.
Taking relevant microenterprise initiatives can well be a viable platform in the way to livelihood recovery, provided technical assistance with real intent is forthcoming.
The wheel of misfortune: The economy of Iraq has been ravaged by years of sanction followed by civil strife between different religious factions. The country once had excellent agriculture and was an exporter of agro produces to the neighboring countries but now primarily it depends on import to feed its people. Iraq imports around 80% of its foods. The Tigress and Euphrates, the two main rivers, flow across the length and breadth of the country making land fertile in most of the places. Despite this, today an average Iraqi survives on public distribution system (PDS) for daily necessities like rice, wheat sugar etc. Many farmers have taken up jobs as taxi driver in insurgent infested Baghdad area for their survival.
The Government of Iraq has very little exposure in governance since the system collapsed after invasion and knowledgeable senior officers fled the country. Previous rules, procedure and system of governance were done away with but new system, procedure and personnel were not put in place. Increase in insurgent activities has added another odd to the rot. Many fled the country and those that remained had lost their livelihood which is a major challenge at this stage.
In regaining focus: USAID is the main donor agency working actively in Iraq at this point of time and is focusing on generating livelihood for the Iraqis. In one of its projects, micro entrepreneurs were financially supported to start milk production. Cattle were given as grants.
Afterwards when they started business operation they found it difficult to sustain since yield per cow was a meager 6 liters as compared to Saudi average of 40 liters per cow. Saudi Arabia uses Holstein breed but Iraq uses local variety most of the time. These livestock farmers, assisted by USAID, in Iraq do not have access to information like artificial insemination, right kind of fodder, prevention of diseases etc which can generate more yield. In fact, introduction of these facilities can increase the milk yield from 6 liters to 20 liters per cow. The question is how these can be introduced to have higher yield?
Light in the dark: Iraq had a strong agricultural extension service whose responsibility was to provide advisory services to farmers and presently extension officers hardly provide any service to farmers. This need to be revamped and extension officers may be provided technical assistance to build their capacity. Livestock farmers can be assisted to form association comprising of farmers as members of the association. Association can disseminate necessary information to cattle farmers in the locality thru the association. Extension officers can also use associations as the platform to reach farmers to provide advisory services. Taking this broader approach would indeed make Iraqi cattle farmers more profitable and sustainable. 
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