Iraq Aims to Regain Status as World’s Largest Date Producer

Reuters

A farmer collects dates from a palm tree at a date palm orchard during harvest.

Once the undisputed global leader in palm tree cultivation, Iraq is now on a determined path to reclaim its title as the world’s largest date producer. After decades of decline that saw the number of palm trees drop from 33 million in the early 1980s to just 13 million in 2003.

By 2022, the total had risen again to around 20 million palm trees.

Dr Mahdi Sahar Jabbari, Administrative Assistant at the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture, told the Kurdistani Nwe Newspaper that the ministry had signed a contract with a private British company to supply palm trees to farmers at subsidised prices.

“The aim is to develop the country’s date production and restore Iraq’s position as the world’s largest date producer,” he said.

Dr Jabbari explained that over the past two years, the ministry had allowed the private sector to import advanced tissue-cultured seedlings. During this period, around two million seedlings were brought into the country, and tissue propagation laboratories have since been established in several provinces.

He revealed that Iraq had exported approximately 600,000 tonnes of dates over the past two years to destinations including Europe, Morocco, the Gulf states and India, utilising local packaging and marketing facilities. At the same time, imports of dates have been banned since 2003.

“Iraq currently has the fourth-largest number of palm trees in the world, with 22 million, and aims to reach 33 million in the coming years,” Dr Jabbari stated.



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