One palm tree orchard left in Khurmatu, with illness
Iraq used to produce 600 types of dates and was one of the world's largest producer of dates, but the war, residential and commercial projects led to the destruction of palms forests.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – In Khurmatu, there is only one palm tree orchard left, in which the trees are in poor condition and ill. Hazim and his decedent family owned that palm trees orchard for two centuries, but now the trees are drying, day by day due to a disease.
He urges the relevant departments, through Kurdistan 24, to help him and cure the disease caught his palm forest.
“This year, alone, more than 30 palm trees fell over, if it stays like that none of the trees will be left” a farmer in Tuz Khurmatu District, Hazim Abd who owns the palm forest, disclosed “every palm tree is two hundred years old, we don't have water to water those trees, all the orchards in the area were destroyed, no forest left except ours, within next few years, the rest of the trees disappear”
Iraq used to produce 600 types of dates, and was one of the world's largest producer of dates, but the war, residential and commercial projects led to the destruction of palms forests.
“Declining in palm trees and dates production go back to several factors, the first factor is the continuous wars, especially, the Iraq-Iran’s, war against terrorism, U.S.-Iraq and Kuwait-Iraq, palm tree orchards were destroyed.” An Agricultural Engineer, Anwar Aziz, said
The second factor is after the US liberation process of Iraq, for example, Tuz Khurmatu, which was famous for its dates, has only one orchard left out of 40” Aziz added.
Another reason for the disappearance of these orchards is due to the trade in land that is converted into commercial or residential areas.
