Farmers in Maysan shift to American cowpea variety as water shortages bite

MAYSAN — Farmers in Qal’at Saleh say they have abandoned the Iraqi cowpea in favor of the American variety, which they describe as more productive and resilient.

“The American type produces more, reaching 200 to 250 kilograms per dunam, while the Iraqi kind gives much less,” farmer Hatem al-Maliki told 964media. He said sowing typically happens at the end of July, with harvests ready after 45 to 50 days. “We prefer July because if we plant in April, the seedlings face the full heat of June, July, and August. When planted later, the temperatures start to ease as the plants grow.”

Iraq produces about 30,000 tons of cowpea annually, with Maysan ranking sixth after Baghdad, Babil, Karbala, Wasit, and Dhi Qar. Fields in Maysan yield around 1,500 tons each year, about twice Basra’s output, according to official statistics. Farmers said the crop sells for about 1,500 dinars per kilogram ($1.06) at the farm and 3,000 dinars ($2.13) in local markets.

“The cowpea has many types, such as Italian and Spanish, but we prefer the American one because it is better and tastes good. The Iraqi one is only ‘roots’ and does not produce well,” farmer Hussein al-Maliki said.

Hashem al-Abbadi, head of the agriculture department in Qal’at Saleh, confirmed that the directorate has not set a plan for cowpea production for 2024 and 2025. “The irrigation department prevented farmers from planting due to water scarcity,” he said.