Early frost devastates tomato crops in Balakayati, leaving farmers with heavy losses

BALAKAYATI — A recent cold snap has severely damaged tomato crops in the Balakayati area, part of the Soran Autonomous Administration, leaving many farmers facing significant financial losses.

Over the past two days, freezing temperatures and snowfall have swept across the Balakayati, particularly in Przhe and Weze, areas known for their summer tomato cultivation. The frost, which arrived earlier than expected, has hit crops that were still being harvested, causing widespread damage.

Farmers in the area typically continue harvesting tomatoes until early November, but the early arrival of this cold snap has upended their plans, forcing them to act quickly to save what remains of their crops.

In a rush to minimize losses, farmers have been salvaging what they can over the last two days. Some are hurrying to sell their harvests to local markets in an attempt to avoid further spoilage, while others have had no choice but to abandon their frost-damaged crops. The sudden cold has caused the tomatoes to spoil rapidly, affecting their texture and taste, rendering many unsuitable for sale.

“This year’s cold snap has destroyed our crops just as they were reaching maturity,” said Mohammad Hassan, a local farmer. “My losses are around 10 million dinars ($6,545), and some farmers have suffered losses of up to 70 million dinars ($45,815).”

Farmers who had planted larger quantities of tomatoes have been hit the hardest, as they had invested heavily in workers for the harvest, rented land, tomato seeds, farming materials, and paid daily wages for truck drivers to transport the produce to markets in Soran and Erbil.

The frost has also caused a sharp drop in tomato prices over the past two days. Many tomatoes are now going unsold, as concerns about their quality in the cold conditions grow among buyers. Local farmers noted that this is the first year they have experienced such an early frost, adding to the challenge of managing the harvest.

The Balakayati area is known for its fertile soil, favorable water supply, and productive agricultural terrain, which has made it a key supplier of summer crops. Large tracts of land in the area are dedicated to farming, helping to meet the market demands for locally grown produce. This year’s cold snap, however, has brought an unexpected and costly disruption to the region’s harvest.