Measuring the Comparative Advantage and Competitiveness of Iraqi Zuhdi Dates in Globle Markets

Abstract

The date palm is one of the important horticultural crops in Iraq, and the variety Zuhdi constitutes 54% of the total production of all date varieties. The production of this crop is affected by the extent of the success of the economic policies pursued by the state through its agricultural policies, especially policies directed towards encouraging palm cultivation, supporting production requirements or supporting production prices. A random sample of Al-Zuhdi date farms consisting of 108 farms showed that the farms achieved a special profit of (71,851) dinars / ton. The production of this crop is affected by the extent of the success of the economic policies pursued by the state through its agricultural policies, especially policies directed towards encouraging palm cultivation, supporting production requirements or supporting production prices. A random sample of Al-Zuhdi date farms consisting of 108 farms showed that the farms achieved a special profit of (71,851) dinars / ton. The value of the current net price transfers was not in favor of date producers. As for the nominal protection coefficients for production and production inputs and the effective protection factor, they amounted to about (0.82, 0.91, 0.80), while the cost of the local resource was about (0.59), from which we conclude that the commodity system is for the benefit of local consumers and that The producers received a subsidy in the cost of inputs by 9%, and that Iraq enjoys a comparative advantage in the production of ascetic dates and has the ability to compete at the international level. We recommend expanding the cultivation of the Zuhdi palm, increasing subsidies for productive inputs and exporting the surplus.