Iraqi farmers turn to corn for its high yield

Farmers in the Iraqi town of Nimrud are turning to planting corn to compensate for recent wheat and barley crop losses caused by a drought that hit the area. Corn has a different planting season that starts in the beginning of July and can be harvested just before the wheat growing season in November. A ton of yellow corn sells at 430,000 Iraqi dinars ($290) or more, depending on the quality of the kernels and other factors. Farmers can sell the corn directly at the local market, unlike wheat which they must hand over to the state's silos to get a government-subsidized price in exchange. Corn is also a convenient crop as it allows farmers to take advantage of the alternating growing seasons of the crops, which effectively allows them to use the land all yearlong.