U.S. strategy in Iraq is making a transition from reconstruction and agricultural redevelopment to a greater focus on trade. That’s according to Dan Berman with USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service, who returned last month from a trade mission to Iraq, which he describes as a catalyst for that transition.
“There are great trade opportunities,” said Berman, during an interview with Brownfield. “Iraq has the world’s third largest oil reserves, a large and growing population and they have some productivity issues, so we want to partner with them.”
Limited productivity means Iraq depends on outside sources to feed its people, so companies interested in doing business with Iraq deal in food, as well as in products that will improve farm output.
“We saw lots of other opportunities [during the mission] for consumer ready food products,” said Berman, “and on the input and technology side we’re finding that there’s interest in how we can help with the livestock and poultry industry development.”
About 20 companies were part of the mission to Iraq. Initial feedback from those firms is encouraging, but, says Berman, relationship building is a long term proposition.
Agriculture is Iraq’s second largest economic sector, employing twenty percent of its workforce.
AUDIO: Dan Berman (5 min. MP3)
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