Prof. Dr.  Ali Ameen Yaseen

Department of Food Sciences

Anbar Governorate suffers today, as yesterday, from a scarcity in the number of food factories established on its lands, whether these factories are productive, transformative or complementary. With the exception of the Abu Ghraib dairy factory (which became managed as an investment) and some small dairy factories (at a very narrow local level) that are scattered in some districts of the governorate and its suburbs, in addition to some old mills located in the city of Ramadi and some districts of the governorate, the governorate stands completely unable to meet its most basic needs. From processed and semi-processed foodstuffs. Therefore, most families residing in cities, districts, and towns in the governorate turned to products manufactured abroad, which began supplying markets with different types of processed foods. Some of them are in conformity with the Iraqi and international standard specifications, and some of them are not in conformity and were not produced under hygienic conditions or controlled productivity. In sum, most of the laboratories scattered in the governorate are artisanal laboratories, most of which lack the safety and hygiene standards that should be present in such laboratories. Hence, several problems have emerged, such as: The governorate’s lack of food security, which caused reliance on the external importer to fill the food shortage, which burdens the consumer with customs, transport, shipping and loading expenses, which could have been avoided if the product was local and unemployment rates increased among the age groups capable of work. Today, it is clear that the currently leading sector in the dairy field in this province in general is the trade sector and commercial activities related to import and export, while the industrial sector was supposed to be the leading sector because Iraq possesses all the ingredients for the advancement of the dairy industry. Encouraging and developing the establishment of small units for the production of dairy products in villages, districts and towns contributes directly to the development of the rural community through the role of such units in raising the income of the village family and encouraging small investments for capital. The importance of small units for dairy production is due to their contribution to supporting the national economy as a sector of rural or urban manufacturing industries, through their contribution to creating a kind of self-sufficiency and filling the market need for dairy products and providing hard currency, in addition to giving the local market a kind of stability, price stability and balance between supply and demand during crises and disasters that may afflict the countries of external production, whose repercussions have been very clear on the local market in recent times, In addition to the fact that these units represent a model for practical application and integration into the labor market for graduates of faculties of agriculture, especially the departments of food sciences and dairy industry, in addition to the increase in the efficiency of the use of modern capabilities and technologies in the production process and the improvement of technical and technological skills and expertise for the youth of rural society in general and rural women in particular, This is in line with the psychology of the Iraqi woman, who is distinguished by her love for the kitchen and her ingenuity in the food industry. These units have a role in training and qualifying technical personnel in the field of dairy processing and applying the latest technologies in the dairy industry to suit our environmental and social conditions providing the milk products required for the community. In addition, these small units make optimal use of the national production of locally produced milk, which gives animal breeders and milk producers safety to market their products, and this will contribute in the future to the development and increase of livestock in the province. The average per capita consumption of dairy products in the Arab world is about 40 kg / year, and this is a low level compared to the global consumption, which in some countries reaches more than 205 kg / year per capita. Therefore, countries are working to raise the average consumption by developing and raising the level of the dairy industry in villages and rural areas, as it supports large factories and facilities. Accordingly, there is a great opportunity to make investments in the field of dairy processing in the Iraqi countryside to achieve self-sufficiency and increase milk production, which was subjected to strong tremors after a year 2003, where FAO revealed in its statistics that 40% of livestock in Iraq was smuggled after the 2003 war to neighboring countries and this will contribute to an increase in milk production, which is currently estimated at about 2.2 million tons only, which is equivalent to 32% of the value of animal production and about 7% Of the value of the country's total agricultural production, which is considered a very low percentage when compared to other countries, as it represents 25% of the value of agricultural production. The importance of establishing food manufacturing projects that fill the governorate’s need for many processed foods, especially those that are famous for the abundance of the governorate’s production of raw materials, such as milk and its derivatives manufacturing and pressing dates, canning types of fruits and vegetables, canning mushrooms, making vinegar and tomato paste. Provided that the governorate develop an ambitious and comprehensive future plan to meet the governorate’s need for processed foods in order to advance the reality of food manufacturing in it. In addition to achieving a kind of self-sufficiency for some foods and creating new job opportunities for the youth of the governorate, which contributes to raising the per capita daily income and thus improving the livelihood of the family. The establishment of small (local) laboratories for the manufacture of milk and the production of its derivatives is one of the most important local industries that can be successfully implemented on the land of Anbar Governorate for the following reasons:

1-    Ease of marketing milk and its various products to prefer the local product over the imported one

2-     The ease and speed of transporting manufactured products because the governorate owns a complex and modern road network, especially after modernization projects and the construction of new roads in it during recent years.

3-    Many rural families own the capital needed to set up such simple projects.

4-    The presence of intermediate and advanced cadres that support these factories with skilled hands, especially since the Department of Food Sciences at the College of Agriculture - Anbar University has contributed, since 2003, to the graduation of hundreds of technicians.

The local government is responsible for the greater part in promoting this sector, through many ways, means and legal procedures that encourage the farmer to enter this field. Perhaps the most prominent of these points are:

1- Providing the necessary guarantees to encourage farmers to invest in the field of food processing, especially dairy products.

2- Develop a short-term agricultural plan (5 years) and a long-term plan (15 years) to reach the stages of self-sufficiency in the field of food manufacturing in general and the manufacture of dairy products in particular.

3- Supporting the local farmer by facilitating his access to agricultural financial loans with low interest rates and long-term repayment periods, and provide them with production requirements such as electricity and fuel.

4- Improving the status of livestock in the governorate, which is the mainstay for such projects, and encouraging milk producers to increase the number of animals within a specific time plan. By providing feed at subsidized prices to livestock breeders who undertake to market milk to such laboratories, support them with medicines and veterinary treatments, and set up veterinary clinics and provide them with specialized cadres.

5- Issuing laws and legislations  to protect the local product from competing with imported products. With lower registration and strike fees for such projects

6- Opening governmental marketing centers or with the participation of the private sector to absorb dairy products at prices that encourage the producer to continue managing and operating such projects.