Iraq to Adopt Vertical Farming to Eliminate Chemical Fertilizers and Maximize Land Use

Baghdad-INA

 Agriculture Ministry announced on Friday its plan to implement vertical farming as part of efforts to reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers while efficiently utilizing land space.

“Vertical farming involves growing crops in stacked layers, maximizing the use of space,” Deputy Agriculture Minister Mahdi Sahar told the Iraqi News Agency (INA). This technique utilizes hydroponics and aeroponics, relying on water as a medium instead of soil, and eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers.

Sahar explained that the aim of vertical farming is to maximize land utilization and increase crop production efficiency per square meter compared to traditional methods. The method also enables year-round crop production in a controlled environment, free from the effects of weather and seasonal changes.

He emphasized that environmental and climatic conditions such as temperature, humidity, and ventilation can be controlled to optimize growth, while fish farming can be integrated, where fish waste serves as natural fertilizer for the plants.