Diwaniyah man leaves his taxi behind to revive an orchard and showcase Iraqi dates

NAJAF, December 29 — Ahmed Al-Fatlawi, a 27-year-old young man, is engaged in the manufacturing and packaging of dates produced by his small orchard in the Al-Mihana area of Diwaniyah. His products have gained significant popularity at the “With Our Hands, Life Blooms” bazaar held in Najaf.

Ahmed left his job as a taxi driver to devote himself to caring for his orchard, which boasts 100 palm trees. He decided against simply selling the dates by the kilo, as most farmers do, but instead moved on to sorting, packaging, and using them with pastries and nuts, with the help of his family.

Al-Fatlawi:

“The dates are from my own orchard and are of high quality, including varieties like Maktoom, Halawi, and Khastawi. I arrange and package them in my own unique way before offering them for sale, moving beyond the traditional method of selling by the kilo.”

“Some customers don’t recognize the value or appreciate the effort that goes into this industry and complain about the prices. I try to educate them about the process, and my products reach Najaf and Diwaniyah.”

“I can’t transport my products to other cities in Iraq despite the high demand due to delivery companies not transporting food items.”

“I sell a large plate of dates for 8,000 dinars with 27 pieces, the medium for 6,000 dinars, a kilo of dried Breme for 4,000 dinars, and one kilo of Deiri for 3,000 dinars.”

“I rely on my Facebook page to showcase my products, as opening a shop in the market requires a lot of procedures with state departments.”