Diyala sees growth in palm farming, Barhi and Majhool dates in high demand

DIYALA — Diyala province is seeing a surge in palm farming, especially with the growth of date varieties such as Barhi, Majhool, and Ajwa Madina. One of the largest farms leading this trend is Al-Amir farm, located in the Al-Muqdadiya district, where Barhi date harvesting continues, even though the season ended earlier in southern Iraq.

Laith Bahjat, co-owner of Al-Amir farm, provided insights into the farm’s operations. Established in 2012 with 3,200 palm trees, the farm also grows other date varieties, including Saq’i, Qurnufli, and Ajwa Madina, though its primary focus remains on Barhi dates. Recently, Majhool was introduced to boost production.

“Majhool has a significant yield and the advantage of not needing cold storage, unlike Barhi dates,” Bahjat noted.

Across Iraq, the number of palm trees has surpassed 22 million, a growth of 5 million in the past three years, bringing the country closer to its mid-1970s peak of 30 million palms. This number had decreased due to war and environmental changes.

The farm’s main source of income is selling offshoots from date palms, which are distributed throughout Iraq. Prices for these offshoots range between 150,000 and 350,000 IQD ($98 to $228), depending on size and root development.

Bahjat mentioned that the farm faces challenges, particularly the lack of government support for pest control. “We manage everything independently,” he added.

Hamid Ward, a contractor involved in the harvest, explained that around 3,000 Barhi palm trees are cultivated on the farm. Every season, the dates are packed in special containers and distributed nationwide.

Barhi dates are highly popular, selling for 2,500 to 3,000 IQD ($1.6 to $2) per kilogram. Ward noted that the farm’s success has inspired others to start growing dates, especially with the introduction of the Majhool variety, which is set to begin production next season.

Ghazwan Latif, a farm worker, described the harvesting process, locally known as “qissas.” Workers place mats under each palm tree to prevent the dates from being damaged when they fall. Good dates are then separated from unripe ones and packed for distribution.

In August, the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture reported that over 6.4 million trees have been planted nationwide in the past 18 months as part of the government’s efforts to combat climate change and revitalize agriculture. However, Iraq remains vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, ranking as the fifth-most vulnerable country, according to the UN.