Opening of Iraqi borders to Iranian cucumbers devastates local farmers
A kilogram of locally produced cucumbers sells for between 150 to 200 dinars, down from the previous price of 500 to 750 dinars.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Iraqi government's decision to open its borders with Iran for cucumber imports has significantly reduced the price of cucumbers in the Sulaimani wholesale market.
Currently, a kilogram of cucumbers sells for between 150 to 200 dinars, down from the previous price of 500 to 750 dinars.
Local farmers, who bring their products to the Sulaimani wholesale market daily, are facing severe financial losses due to the influx of cheaper Iranian cucumbers.
Tawana Sadiq, a farmer who delivers several tons of cucumbers to the market each day, now sells his cucumbers for 150 to 200 dinars per kilogram. However, his production cost stands at 350 dinars per kilogram, causing him and other farmers to lose over a million dinars daily.
“We don't have a problem with producing our crops, but we have a problem with selling them. Because of the import of Iranian cucumbers, our crops do not create any profits. From 08:00 and 09:00 am to 04:00 pm we try to sell the products but to no avail,” Sadiq said.
According to an agreement between the Iraqi and Iranian Ministries of Agriculture, an annual report published on April 15 each year aims to ban the import of certain agricultural products to support local farmers.
However, during the month of Muharram and Ashura, the Iraqi government opens its borders to Iranian imports, leading to a surge in imported cucumbers. Before this period, 500 to 600 tons of cucumbers were sold daily at a price of 500 dinars per kilogram, but prices have since dropped to 150 to 200 dinars per kilogram.
Farmers need to sell cucumbers at a minimum of 400 dinars per kilogram to avoid losses.
Sarwar Ali, head of the agricultural committee of the Sulaimani wholesale market, told Kurdistan24: “Before the gates were opened to import Iranian products, a kilo of cucumbers was 700 to 750 dinars. The products are mostly sent to the central and southern parts of Iraq. Now, because of the import of cucumbers from Iran, the market is dominated by these imported items, and we are left with our products that cannot be sold.”
