KRG Deputy Prime Minister Sami Abdul Rahman opened the new Akrê Vegetable Oil Plant with Sa’ad Abdullah, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, Assistant Director General of FAO in Rome, Henry Carsalade and FAO IRAQ Director. The Deputy Prime Minister addressed the crowd about the importance of this plant for the people of Akrê and the surrounding areas, especially farmers whose sunflower crops will be procured for vegetable oil production at the plant. The plant was built with SCR-986 Oil-for-Food program funds. Work on the construction began in August 2000 as a joint effort between FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and the Ministry of Industry and Energy. The plant is expected to produce about 1.5 tons of sunflower oil a day. It will be available for sale in the local domestic markets under the brand name “Akrê.”