Al-Salihi: The Parliamentary Agriculture Committee is seeking new legislation to combat land degradation and increase agricultural land.

Rafiq Al-Salihi, a member of the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee for the Sadiqoon, stressed on Thursday the committee’s need for new legislation to address the phenomenon of land encroachment, emphasizing the importance of expanding agricultural land as a key means of achieving food security in the country.
Al-Salihi explained in a press statement that Iraqi law punishes excavation operations, calling on the relevant authorities to halt them immediately, especially after many excavated sites have been transformed into residential complexes or villages. This requires comprehensive treatment through new legislation that provides appropriate alternatives.
He pointed out that the increasing population expansion has led to the exploitation of land for random construction under various pretexts, which necessitates the revitalization of agricultural land and its exploitation for the cultivation of basic crops for human consumption.
Al-Salihi affirmed that the parliamentary agricultural committee is continuing its efforts to increase arable land, noting Iraq’s success in achieving self-sufficiency in crops such as tomatoes, onions, garlic, broad beans, and okra, in addition to growing wheat allocated to the food ration, which enhances the role of agriculture in achieving food security.
He also revealed that a draft law has been before Parliament for two years, aiming to encourage the exploitation of desert lands and convert them into agricultural land, stressing that planting trees in these areas would contribute to their preservation and development.
Concluding his statement, Al-Salihi called for an expanded dialogue seminar to include the parliamentary Agriculture Committee, heads of administrative units, municipal officials, agricultural associations, and a number of farmers and agricultural landowners, with the aim of discussing ways to ensure justice for this important segment. He emphasized that the location and time of the seminar will be determined through high-level coordination and preparation.