In the Garmiyan region of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, farmers are expanding date cultivation, producing fruit that ripens earlier than in Diyala province, long a main source of supply for Iraqi markets.
Orchardist Mohammed Karim has cultivated date palms for nine years on a 50-dunam (12.5 ha) plot, growing around 50 varieties. He explained that the hot climate and moist soil of Garmiyan give his produce an earlier ripening window. "My orchard contains 50 varieties of dates, and they are of very good quality. Ours ripen before the dates of Diyala," Karim told Kurdistan24.
While Diyala growers focus on Zahdi, Khastawi, and Khadrawi, Karim noted that Garmiyan orchards also include Barhi, Maktoum, Barbend, Tubarzel, Medjool, and Qoranfala. More than 430 dunams (108 ha) in the region are now planted with date palms, meeting growing local demand.
Consumers such as Omar Mohammed said supply dynamics are shifting. "Previously, they used to say dates don't grow in Kurdistan. So if we wanted to buy dates, we had to go to Sharaban, Baqubah, or Diyala. But now we buy them here in Garmiyan, because there are dozens of orchards in this area that bring their produce to sell at the wholesale market," he explained.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has emphasized agriculture as part of its diversification strategy away from oil and gas. According to Hemin Sayed Murad, Director General of Agriculture in Erbil, the region now exports more than 3,000 tons of fruits and vegetables daily, primarily to federal Iraq. Nearly 250,000 tons have been exported since the start of the season.
International collaboration has supported the sector. Dutch projects have raised potato output from 2,000 tons to over 600,000 tons annually, while UAE-based companies are investing in large-scale projects in Zakho. Duhok province expects a 60,000-ton grape harvest this year, with new factories handling surplus volumes.
Events such as the Taq Taq Fig Festival and the Ankawa Grape Exhibition are being used to market local crops and develop agritourism. At the Taq Taq festival, 15 tons of figs were sold in a single day to over 20,000 visitors.
Wheat marketing has also shifted, with private companies purchasing and processing large volumes for five consecutive years, complementing government procurement.
The developments in Garmiyan date cultivation illustrate broader sectoral changes. Farmers are adopting crops traditionally grown elsewhere in Iraq while building on local climatic conditions to secure earlier harvests and diversify supply for local and export markets.
Source: Kurdistan24
