Mosul farmers harvest pistachios from decades-old groves

MOSUL — Farmers in Mosul are harvesting pistachios from groves that have stood for more than four decades, with families describing the crop as both valuable and labor-intensive.

The Halabi variety of Iraqi pistachio takes nearly 10 years to bear fruit, similar to date palms, said Eyad Al-Allaf, a lecturer at the University of Mosul, who referred to the crop as “green oil.” In Hawi Al-Kanisa, more than 2,000 trees are being harvested this season, with families working from morning until sunset in what locals describe as a communal gathering.

Farmer Mohammed Abu Suhaib told 964media: “Pistachio is a wealth, but under current conditions it is exhausting and costly, requiring effort, expenses, and management. Harvesting starts in September and lasts until October. One tree produces 4 to 5 kilograms, but yields this year are lower than usual.”

Salah Abd Wees of the Union of Agricultural Associations in Mosul said, “Before wars, desertification, and drought, yields ranged from 300 to 500 kilograms per dunam, but production dropped after years of neglect when farmers abandoned groves.” He noted that pistachios require patience, taking seven to ten years to produce at good levels.

Al-Allaf explained that Mosul once had vast pistachio orchards, but climate fluctuations, low rainfall, lack of modern irrigation, and war reduced the planted areas, some of which were converted to housing. He added that reviving cultivation is possible through expanding farmland, improving conditions, and adopting global-quality seedlings.

Iraq lacks official statistics on pistachio production, as yields remain small and farmers do not register their harvests with agricultural directorates.