Strawberry Profitability Study

The current cost of production is approximately $10,000 per donum, with high price volatility. The cost of production in Iraq is higher than in neighboring countries, mainly due to poor yields, which average 10-15MT/ha. This is attributed to the lack of proper IPM, poor fertilization, and insufficient crop management. The implementation of a new crop management system, supported by Inma, is expected to increase yields from the current 10MT/ha to a minimum of 40MT/ha. This will reduce the cost of product sold from $2.61/kg to $1.75/kg. The increased productivity, coupled with post-harvesting practices, will allow Iraqi farmers to be highly profitable in Karbala and Najaf throughout the year and achieve significant profitability in other governorates from October to April. Strawberry consumption in Iraq is relatively low, at 80g per capita per year, with a market size of approximately 4,200MT/year. Most of the strawberries consumed in Iraq are imported from neighboring countries, while domestic production is concentrated in Karbala. The prices of strawberries in Iraq are highly seasonal and volatile, with the lowest prices occurring during the months of May, June, and July. The analysis of strawberry profitability is conducted using a model built on 2009 prices and adjusted for seasonality using historical data from 2005-2009. The model uses the 2009 peak price in Baghdad as a reference point, which is considered to be a factual data and is in line with international prices. The reference price for Karbala and Najaf is expressed as a ratio of the price in Baghdad, based on historical series. The current scenario on the supply side is characterized by high production costs. The cost of producing 1kg of strawberries in Iraq is estimated to be around $2.61, which is higher than in other strawberry-producing countries. The high production costs in Iraq is due to several factors, including extremely low yields, high costs of plants, and high costs of plastic and irrigation systems. The low yields in Iraq are a major drawback, considering that yields as high as 50-60MT/ha are considered standard in the industry. The current yields in Iraq are attributed to the lack of proper IPM, poor fertilization, and insufficient crop management. The implementation of a new crop management system, supported by Inma, is expected to increase yields and reduce production costs. The cost of product sold in Iraq is estimated to be around $2.61/kg, which is higher than in other strawberry-producing countries. The high cost of product sold in Iraq is due to several factors, including high production costs, low yields, and high costs of plants. The implementation of a new crop management system, supported by Inma, is expected to reduce the cost of product sold and increase profitability for Iraqi farmers. The strawberry market in Iraq is characterized by high price volatility and seasonal fluctuations. The prices of strawberries in Iraq are influenced by several factors, including supply and demand, production costs, and market trends. The analysis of strawberry profitability is conducted using a model built on 2009 prices and adjusted for seasonality using historical data from 2005-2009. The model uses the 2009 peak price in Baghdad as a reference point, which is considered to be a factual data and is in line with international prices. The reference price for Karbala and Najaf is expressed as a ratio of the price in Baghdad, based on historical series. The final step of the model is the recalculation of the monthly prices using the historical series for seasonality. The strawberry price probability function is a probability function of the most likely prices to occur in the market, based on historical data and updated with the latest available data trend. The function is used to determine the most likely prices to occur in the market, taking into account the seasonality and seasonality trends.