Duhok Province Expects Grape Production to Reach 80,000 Tons This Year

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Duhok province ranks first in grape production across the Kurdistan Region, with production expected to reach around 80,000 tons this year, according to the province’s Director General of Agriculture.

Ahmed Jameel, Director General of Agriculture in Duhok, told Kurdistan24 on Tuesday that a private-sector company is purchasing grapes directly from farmers for the second consecutive year.

Jameel said the company purchased around 500 tons of grapes from farmers last year, while 20 tons have already been purchased over the past two days.

“Duhok ranks first in grape production. We expect this year’s production to reach around 80,000 tons, which is an increase of 15,000 tons compared with last year,” Jameel said.
The company also purchases other agricultural products, including apples and pomegranates, and sends them to markets using modern packaging, which Jameel described as an important form of support for farmers.

Around 55,000 farmers are engaged in various agricultural sectors across Duhok province. The province is particularly known for grape varieties such as Mangesh and Zawita.

The increased production comes as the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) seeks to expand agricultural exports and reduce reliance on imported food products. Locally grown grapes, pomegranates, apples, figs, potatoes, and honey are increasingly being marketed outside the Kurdistan Region, including in Gulf markets.

Pomegranates were among the first Kurdish agricultural products to gain a foothold in Gulf markets, with Kurdish pomegranates available in markets in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. Barwari apples are also being packaged and exported to Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

The KRG has also promoted the export of processed agricultural products, including potato chips, as part of efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector and diversify the region’s economy beyond oil revenues.