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India is looking at massive agri-business opportunities in war-ravaged Iraq, including those for sale of wheat, rice, tea and sugar, the commodities which have a large demand in any humanitarians even in a country ravaged by war and India can export the same to Iraq," Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh told PTI.
Opportunity for sale of Indian agri-commodities to Iraq comes at a time when the UN World Food Programme has launched the biggest humanitarian operation in its history, food ministry officials said.
Senior WFP official, Maarten Roest when contacted in Amman (Jordan), said the organisation has appealed for $1.3 billion to fund its emergency response to the Second Gulf War.
Exporters feel it is unlikely that all agri-requirements will be traced to the US alone and India has a good opportunity to cater to these needs.
The United Nations has already identified four new locations where bulk shipments of emergency food and other items could be sent for use in Iraq, once the humanitarian workers return to the country.
The locations are Latakia in Syria, Iskenderun in Turkey, Aqaba in Jordan, and Kuwait City.
A number of Indian orders including those for wheat and sugar are on a priority list and are expected to be delivered shortly. Tea exporters are also gung-ho about trade prospects with Iraq.