Iraq News Now

Shafaq News/As the pomegranate harvest season reaches its peak in Diyala province, farmersare raising concerns over crop damage and falling prices due to importedcompetition and insufficient government support. They warn of the potentialextinction of the region's famed pomegranate orchards along the banks of theDiyala River.

AbdullahAl-Azzawi, a farmer from the town of Al-Muqdadiya, told Shafaq News that"Diyala pomegranates, particularly those grown near the Diyala River inAl-Muqdadiya and reaching Sharwain, have long been famous for their quality andflavor. However, today the fruit is dry and lacks its characteristic 'sweet'taste due to drought and water shortages, in addition to competition fromimports, particularly from Iran, Egypt, and Yemen."

Al-Azzawiexplained that many farmers are now relying on wells due to the decreased flowof the Diyala River, which has significantly impacted fruit quality. As aresult, the price of local pomegranates has dropped to 250 dinars ($0.19) perkilogram, while imported ones are sold at prices ranging from 1,500 to 2,000dinars (about $1.4) per kilogram.

OmarAl-Jubouri, a farmer from Sharwain, pointed out that "pomegranate farmingno longer offers economic viability for farmers, despite the many challengesduring the growing season, including the costs of harvesting, transportation,and fertilizer, which costs around 1 million dinars per ton."

Al-Jubourinoted that pomegranate orchard areas, as well as other fruit plantations, havedecreased by half or more in their region due to weak government support,particularly in the provision of affordable fertilizers and pesticides.

"Somefarmers have either abandoned their orchards or sold them to convert them intoresidential land or more profitable ventures."

The drop inprices often forces farmers to return harvested fruit to the orchards or delayselling it, creating frustration among growers. "We used to sell a singleshipment for 1 million dinars, but now we have to sell two or three shipmentsfor the same amount," Al-Jubouri lamented.

He warnedthat if the situation continues, "orchards will disappear, along with thetrees that farmers consider their livelihood after years of hard work,"calling on the government for urgent intervention to reduce imports and providesupport in the form of affordable fertilizers and pesticides.

HafidhMohammed, another farmer, highlighted that "before 2006, the pomegranateforests were thriving and produced thousands of tons, but the security turmoilduring the sectarian period and subsequent events in 2014 led to large areasbeing turned into charcoal."

"Afterthe liberation, farmers worked to revive many of the orchards, and we sawproduction growth, especially in 2019 when water and rainfall weresufficient."

However,Mohammed noted that "in the past three seasons, the pomegranate orchardshave faced significant challenges due to a lack of water and an oversupply ofimported crops, which is hurting the local harvest."

The DiyalaDirectorate of Agriculture confirmed the recent decline in pomegranateproduction due to several factors, including poor maintenance by farmers,insufficient water supply, large-scale deforestation of pomegranate groves, andthe impact of military and terrorist operations.

DiyalaAgriculture Department spokesman, Mohammed Al-Mandlawi, told Shafaq News that"the pomegranate-growing areas in northern Al-Muqdadiya and Al-Mansouriyacover about 10,000 dunams, with annual production previously reaching 5,000 to6,000 tons. This year, the expected yield is between 4,000 and 4,500tons."

Al-Mandlawiexplained that "terrorist operations in these areas, water shortages, andlow prices for the local product are among the key factors contributing to thedamage of the crop, as pomegranate trees take years to recover."

He confirmedthat the Diyala Agriculture Directorate has a plan to support and encouragefarmers to expand their cultivated areas and increase production through theprovision of necessary resources. However, he did not provide details aboutthis plan.