Somalia targets Iraq for livestock exports
Foreign ministers from Somalia and Iraq met in Baghdad to revive a joint committee and discuss agricultural trade.
Somalia is pursuing opportunities to export livestock to Iraq, aiming to diversify its market beyond current destinations. Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali and his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, discussed this initiative in Baghdad on October 17-18.
The ministers spoke about reactivating a dormant Somalia-Iraq joint committee to strengthen cooperation in agriculture and trade. Somalia expressed interest in starting live-animal exports, a key industry supporting pastoral communities and related businesses.
Both sides agreed to accelerate the joint committee's work, though no specific date for livestock shipments was set. Expanding market access to Iraq could encourage investment in veterinary services and infrastructure for Somalia's livestock sector.
Why it mattersSomali livestock producers gain a potential new market for sheep, goats, cattle, and camels in Iraq.