1250 acres impacted
Heavy rains cause significant crop losses in Wasit
WASIT – For the second consecutive day, heavy rains in the Khuzaina area, east of Wasit, have caused significant damage to wheat fields, with crop losses reaching nearly 1250 acres, 988 acres of which have been confirmed by farmers speaking to 964media. Wasit’s agriculture department also confirmed that watermelon and Armenian cucumber, locally known as tarouzi, have been affected.
Ahmed Al-Masoudi, a local farmer, told 964media, “The rains have intensified since Friday morning, exacerbating the situation in the fields. We estimate the damaged area has reached 5,000 dunams so far.”
Al-Masoudi urged the authorities to recognize the significant losses this season. “The wheat grains will undergo another growth cycle with all this water, rendering them unfit even as fodder,” he said.
Watermelon and Armenian cucumber crops, which were ready for harvest, are now nearly submerged, preventing large vehicles from accessing them for at least two weeks. “These are additional losses and a significant reduction in the country’s watermelon production in particular,” Al-Masoudi added.
Ali Al-Murshid, the media official for the Wasit Agriculture Department, informed 964media that approximately 500 acres were damaged by rain in the planned agricultural area of the Sheikh Saad subdistrict. “Our branch has counted the damage and is committed to compensating the farmers,” Al-Murshid said.
He noted that the lands in the Khuzaina area, lying outside the Sheikh Saad subdistrict and between Wasit and Maysan, would be surveyed and compensated if they fall within the agricultural plan.
Khuzaina had successfully navigated a drought season by cultivating large areas of wheat using wells. However, the unexpected heavy rains have thwarted the hopes of local farmers, destroying thousands of dunams of crops as harvesters were delayed by difficult roads and an intense workload.
Khuzaina, a recent addition to the agricultural plan, was expected to help compensate for the wheat shortage.
Al-Masoudi also highlighted the economic impact on Thursday, telling 964media, “Khuzaina relies 100% on agriculture, and because the area is remote and lacks services, a single dunam of wheat costs farmers 15 million dinars ($11,488).”
This marks a significant setback for Khuzaina, which has seen its agriculture flourish over the past two years, producing both winter and summer crops. Despite setbacks, farmers had been optimistic about this year’s harvest, aiming to mitigate the impact of shrinking agricultural plans due to declining river water levels.