Baghdad – WAA – Hassan Al-Fawaz
The Ministry of Trade announced today, Sunday, a future marketing plan to produce 100% Iraqi zero flour. While it indicated that local production is completely healthy and without any additives, it confirmed that Iraq consumes more than 1.7 million tons of this material annually.
The Director General of the General Company for Grain Manufacturing at the Ministry of Trade, Mohsen Namas, told the (INA): “Iraq is one of the countries that consumes large quantities of bread and loaves, which are two essential items on every table, and imports large quantities of this item annually.”
He added, “Imported flour contains a high percentage of gluten, and according to tests, chemical substances appeared in some products, while the local production of zero flour is healthier and free of any additives.”
He added that “the company has provided facilities for six new mills to provide local and imported wheat, four of which are in Baghdad, one in Karbala and the last in Dohuk, with official letters addressed to the General Company for Grain Trade,” stressing that “the coming months will witness the entry of more than 10 mills for the purpose of producing zero flour and marketing it through marketing outlets.”
He noted that “the company has received numerous requests and has more than 56 approvals for mills operating under the commercial system, which will be included in the plan successively when official approvals are obtained for the purpose of importing wheat, producing zero flour, and selling it in the markets or distributing it to ovens and bakeries.”
He continued: “We have a future marketing plan to produce 100% Iraqi zero flour, while achieving self-sufficiency,” stressing that “Iraq consumes more than 1.7 million tons of zero flour annually.”