Sidekan sees drop in agricultural output due to cold, snow

SIDEKAN – The agricultural sector in the Sidekan area is grappling with the threat of diminished crop yields this year, attributed to adverse weather conditions, including significant snowfall.

Abdulrahman Mustafa, head of the Sidekan Agricultural Department, voiced concerns to 964media regarding the potential adverse effects on this year’s harvest, particularly during the orchard trees’ critical blooming and fruiting phases.

Annually, the Sidekan region cultivates roughly 1,000 dunams (approximately 247 acres) of land for wheat and 800 dunams (about 198 acres) for barley. The area also supports approximately 1,000 dunams for vegetable gardens and an equal area for vineyards, in addition to 200,000 dunams (about 49,421 acres) of forests.

Mustafa pointed out the specific threat to walnut and apple crops, which last year saw an 80% decrease in yield due to similar weather patterns.

The villages of Soria, Talan, Dere, and Bole, noted for their high concentration of these at-risk crops, are estimated to encompass around 150 gardens.

In a somewhat brighter outlook for newly planted wheat and barley, Mustafa observed that these crops have so far remained unscathed by frost damage.

He also expressed optimism regarding this year’s rainfall, with 735 millimeters recorded in the region, which he anticipates will positively affect the wheat and barley yields.

Sidekan, positioned within the autonomous administration of Soran in the Kurdistan Region, lies at a strategic junction near the borders of Iran, Turkey, and Iraq.

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