Karbala turns to desert lands for ambitious palm expansion

KARBALA — Unlike southern Iraq’s governorates, where date palms ripen earlier in the year, Karbala’s harvest arrives late — a delay that adds market value. Now, with 3.5 million trees already established and more than 40 registered date varieties, the governorate is moving forward with an ambitious plan to plant an additional 5 million palms, aiming to reclaim desert land and reshape its role in Iraq’s agricultural sector.

“The number of palm trees in the governorate currently stands at 3.5 million, spread across districts like Hussainiyah, Hur, and Hindiya, especially in Khairat, the Western Canal area, and Ain al-Tamur,” said Baher Ghali, director of media at the Karbala Agriculture Directorate.

Ghali said Karbala grows more than 30 types of dates, including premium varieties such as Barhi, Jabjab, Ikhlas, Maktoum, Khadrawi, Majhool, and Asabi al-Arous.

In recent years, farmers have begun shifting away from the once-dominant Zahdi variety, a lower-priced date grown across Iraq, and toward more lucrative options. “Over the past 10 years, we’ve introduced higher-end varieties like Jabjab,” said Adil Al-Fawwaz, a Karbala orchard owner. “One Jabjab sapling can cost up to 350,000 dinars (approximately $250) because of its high yield and large fruit size.”

Other valuable varieties gaining ground in Karbala include Ikhlas, Barhi, Jawzi, Hamra al-Jabal, and Balaliz.

Unlike Basra, where dates reach markets by early summer, Karbala’s climate delays the ripening process. Dates begin turning yellow in August, with some varieties reaching full maturity as late as September or October. These late-ripening varieties often fetch higher prices, with two-kilogram baskets selling for 6,000 to 10,000 dinars (roughly $4 to $7).

To make room for the planned expansion, agricultural officials are targeting desert areas for new groves — an effort partly aimed at offsetting the loss of farmland to urban development.

“We aim to plant around 5 million palm trees in the coming years,” Ghali said. “That’s why we’ve turned to the Karbala desert, which offers wide open space.”

Several large-scale projects are already in progress. Among the most prominent are the 2,000-dunum Fadak plantation and the 10,000-dunum Saqi project, both affiliated with the Abbas Shrine. New groves have also been established in Karbala’s southern and northern green belts. The southern belt, launched in 2006, was completed and handed over in 2014.