A Kurdish farmer has expanded his date palm plantation in Garmian to around 70 donums, producing premium varieties locally.
Diari started the project three years ago after importing nearly 5,000 date palms from the United Arab Emirates. He selected Barhi and Medjool varieties because of their quality, market value, and growing consumer demand.
The plantation initially covered only two or three donums. However, the trees have now begun producing fruit, encouraging Diari to expand the project significantly.
The plantation currently contains between 3,500 and 4,000 mature palms, alongside thousands of younger offshoots. Overall, Diari estimates that more than 20,000 palms and developing trees now occupy the plantation.
Meanwhile, his main challenge has shifted from growing the trees to finding enough land. He plans to transplant additional young palms next year as production continues to expand.
Furthermore, Diari has tested the varieties in other parts of the Kurdistan Region. Several Barhi palms planted in Erbil have already produced fruit, supporting his belief that premium dates could grow beyond Garmian.
The project also carries significant economic potential because local production could reduce dependence on imported dates. Diari said imported Barhi and Medjool varieties can cost between 15,000 and 20,000 Iraqi dinars per kilogram.
By producing the dates locally, he hopes to eventually reduce the price to around 5,000 dinars per kilogram. Consequently, lower prices could benefit consumers while creating additional opportunities for farmers and agricultural businesses.
Diari also uses tissue-culture palms, a modern propagation method that supports large-scale commercial production. This approach could help farmers develop consistent and commercially valuable date plantations.
Although the results do not guarantee success across every location, the project demonstrates promising agricultural potential. In particular, Garmian’s hot climate and fertile land provide favorable conditions for date cultivation.
The expanding plantation therefore highlights opportunities to diversify agriculture across the Kurdistan Region. Ultimately, Diari hopes his growing harvest will help establish Garmian as a major center for premium date production.