Cowpeas and Figs Put Taq Taq at the Center of Kurdistan's Harvest Season

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The arrival of harvest season has transformed Taq Taq into one of the Kurdistan Region's busiest agricultural trading centers, with truckloads of fresh produce leaving the area's wholesale market each day for destinations across the Kurdistan Region and federal Iraq.

According to Kurdistan24, the sub-district's annual harvest has entered its busiest period, bringing renewed commercial activity to farms, markets and transport networks while providing seasonal employment for hundreds of local residents.

The pace of trade reflects both the area's agricultural capacity and its growing role in supplying fresh produce beyond the Kurdistan Region.

Speaking to Kurdistan24 on Friday, Haji Sabah Osman, Director of the Taq Taq Agricultural Department, said most crops cultivated across Taq Taq and nearby farming communities have now reached maturity, allowing large volumes of produce to enter the market each day.

Among this season's standout crops are cowpeas, which have become one of the area's most sought-after agricultural products.

Osman said approximately 75 tons arrive daily at the Taq Taq wholesale market, where they are purchased for distribution to cities throughout the Kurdistan Region as well as provinces in central and southern Iraq.

He added that some growers also market and transport their harvest independently, expanding the reach of local produce beyond the wholesale network.

The steady movement of goods underscores Taq Taq's importance within the Region's agricultural economy.

Rather than serving only nearby communities, the area functions as a key supply point linking farmers with wholesale buyers and consumers across Iraq during the peak growing season.

Alongside cowpeas, Taq Taq's figs are beginning to return to market, continuing a tradition that has made the area known for the fruit's distinctive quality.

Although this year's harvest started later than usual because of changing weather conditions and persistent rainfall, Osman told Kurdistan24 that production is expected to increase significantly in early August.

Current daily arrivals stand at around 300 kilograms, but growers anticipate substantially larger volumes as the season progresses.

The fruit has long enjoyed strong demand among consumers, making it another important contributor to seasonal farm income.

Beyond the volume of produce, the harvest also provides a short-term economic boost for local households.

Osman said the season creates work that extends across the community, with families participating in harvesting activities from the early hours of the morning.

Men, women and younger family members all contribute to gathering crops during one of the year's busiest agricultural periods.

Workers are paid 300 Iraqi dinars per kilogram for harvesting produce, generating more than 21 million Iraqi dinars in daily income for local residents during the season, according to figures shared with Kurdistan24.

That income circulates through the local economy while supporting households whose livelihoods depend heavily on agriculture.

Situated on the right bank of the Little Zab River in Erbil Governorate, roughly 90 kilometers east of Erbil and 60 kilometers north of Kirkuk, Taq Taq has long been recognized as one of the Kurdistan Region's productive farming districts.

Home to more than 900 active farmers, the sub-district continues to play an important role in supplying regional and national markets.

As this year's harvest gathers momentum, the steady flow of cowpeas, figs and other produce illustrates how seasonal agriculture remains a vital economic driver for Taq Taq, supporting employment, sustaining farming families and reinforcing the Kurdistan Region's contribution to Iraq's food supply.

Kurdistan24's journalist and news writer Shorsh Harki contributed to this report.