Harir launches first rice festival to promote local varieties and agricultural heritage

ERBIL — The Harir subdistrict in Shaqlawa, Erbil governorate, launched its first “Harir Rice Festival” on Thursday to showcase its locally grown rice varieties and promote the area’s agricultural heritage. Organizers said the three-day event aims to highlight Harir’s high-quality rice and open new markets for local farmers.

“We realized Harir’s rice deserves more attention,” said the head of the subdistrict’s agriculture department. “We wanted to organize a festival that highlights its quality and helps farmers find better opportunities.”

Karim Baram Marzani, the festival supervisor, told 964media that around 100 farmers are taking part. “We didn’t expect such a large crowd to attend the first day,” he said. “The rice was presented first, followed by exhibitions of other local agricultural products.”

According to the Harir Agriculture Department, the area cultivates two main rice varieties, Sadri and Kurdi, grown annually in the plains of Harir and Batas. This year, however, only about 400 dunams were planted due to reduced rainfall, compared with much larger areas in previous seasons.