Selling home-grown plants
Rubar Ahmed cultivates blooming business from her home in scenic Goptapa
AGJALAR – Rubar Ahmed, a resident of Goptapa village in the Agjalar sub-district of Chamchamal, has been cultivating and selling a variety of herbs, plants, and flowers from her home for the past six years. With the help of two assistants, Ahmed has transformed this small-scale endeavor into a growing business.
“I have been growing flowers at home for six years, and for the past three years, I’ve managed to cultivate enough to sell locally and send to various areas outside Goptapa village,” Ahmed told 964media.
Her business began after she left school in 2019. Initially, she shared photos of her plants on Facebook, and the positive response from friends and acquaintances inspired her to turn it into a formal venture.
Each year, Ahmed and her team start planting in January and February, cultivating over 1,000 plants annually, which are ready for market by May. “So far, my flowers have been in demand in many cities across the Kurdistan Region,” she said.
Ahmed grows a wide range of herbs, plants, flowers, and succulents, including basil, cactus, Kalanchoe, crown-of-thorns (Euphorbia milii), Bougainvillea glabra, bindweeds, Hydrangea, and rubber plants. Prices for her plants range from 1,000 dinars ($0.6) to 15,000 dinars ($10).
Her approach to cultivation emphasizes natural methods. Through trial and error, Ahmed says she discovered that rice and potato water can aid plant growth. She also uses organic fertilizers made from animal waste.
Rice water, the starchy liquid left after rinsing or boiling rice, is thought to contain small amounts of carbohydrates and vitamins, which some gardeners believe can help plants grow.
Looking ahead, Ahmed hopes to expand her operation beyond her home garden to create more job opportunities for Goptapa residents.
Goptapa village, along with its neighboring villages, is located near the Little Zab River, a popular tourist destination in the spring and summer.
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