Over 30 farmers take part in Rawanduz grape festival

RAWANDUZ —  A grape festival was held Monday in Rawanduz district, Soran autonomous administration, Erbil, with more than 30 farmers presenting over 60 varieties of grapes grown in the area.

Locals attended the festival to view the different types of grapes and to purchase them. Grapes are in high demand in the region at the end of summer.

Ibrahim Karim, a farmer from Rawanduz, told 964media, “In Rawanduz we have very good grapes, especially black grapes, which are used for juice, molasses, and raisins.”

He added that the problem is the sale of products, “We ask for a juice factory to be established in the area. Establishing such a factory would help farmers progress further, improve their income, and better serve the grape orchards,” he said.

Another farmer, Mustafa Haji, who participated with a variety known as Rashmiri grapes, said this black type has large clusters and a long shelf life, making it suitable for raisins.

Located approximately 100 kilometers northeast of Erbil city, Rawanduz is nestled in a picturesque mountainous region of the Kurdistan Region. The city was once the capital of the Soran Principality.

In Soran autonomous administration, 18,000 dunams of land (4,447 acres) are cultivated with grapes, including 600 vineyards in Rawanduz district.