Iraq says to import wheat and rice through direct contracts.

Iraq Trade Ministry negotiating direct contracts for the import of rice and wheat after multiple failures to secure them through international tenders. Iraq has been struggling to import the grains for its food subsidy programmed after introducing new payment and quality terms that kept traders away from its international tenders. The Central Committee, after a failure of several tenders because of the new mechanisms for contracts, has begun to negotiate with large international companies to contract wheat.