Yields slashed as water shortage threatens rice crop in Batas and Harir

ERBIL — Farmers in the Batas and Harir areas have begun planting rice for the season, but a sharp decline in available water is raising fears of reduced yields and lower crop quality.

Located northeast of Erbil city, Harir is a well-known agricultural town situated on a fertile plain, while nearby Batas is a smaller village. Together, they form a key rice-growing region in the Kurdistan Region.

Rice requires heavy irrigation throughout its growth cycle, and farmers say the shortage is already impacting their fields. “There’s already a water shortage, which is heavily affecting rice production,” said Mohammed Aziz, a farmer in Batas. “It could cut our rice yield by 50 percent. If we normally produce 50 sacks of rice per dunam, this year we may only harvest around 25.”

As of May 5, 2025, the General Directorate of Meteorology in Erbil reported just 156.2 millimeters of rainfall for the year — a steep drop compared to 584.8 millimeters recorded during the same period last year.

Aziz emphasized that rice needs uninterrupted irrigation from planting through harvest, warning that without it, the crops could dry out.

Rizgar Rostam, a farmer in Harir, said the shortage could also hurt quality. “If the rice plant doesn’t get enough water as it grows, the grain becomes smaller and the taste of Kurdish rice is lost,” he said.

Each year, about 300 dunams of land are planted with rice in the Batas and Harir areas. Farmers reported poor yields in 2023 due to summer heat and water scarcity, and many now fear a repeat if conditions do not improve.

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