Akre Onion Production Expected to Exceed 70,000 Tons
Akre farmers will plant more than 1,700 acres (7,000 dunams) with onions this year, with production expected to exceed 70,000 tons after the six-month growing season.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Farmers in Akre are preparing to plant more than 1,700 acres (7,000 dunams) of land with onions this year, with production expected to surpass 70,000 tons after the six-month growing season, according to the Akre Directorate of Agriculture.
The planned cultivation marks a new record for onion production in the area and reflects increased interest among farmers following favorable market prices and improved agricultural conditions.
Farmers have begun planting on a larger scale, using advanced agricultural machinery to prepare and cultivate their fields.
Farmer Nawzad Nimat told Kurdistan24 that growers intend to increase the amount of land under onion cultivation this year because weather conditions have been more favorable.
He said conditions are better than last year, when heavy rainfall negatively affected production.
Another farmer, Fathi Ismail, said strong onion prices in the market last year encouraged farmers to devote more land to the crop this season.
Farmers in the area also said the recent appearance of clouds and moderate rainfall had strengthened hopes for a better harvest.
The Akre Directorate of Agriculture attributed the expansion not only to weather and market conditions but also to government support.
Aslan Hussein, head of the Statistics and Planning Department at the directorate, said direct support from the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Ministry of Agriculture had been a major factor encouraging farmers to expand production.
He pointed specifically to efforts to secure markets for agricultural products.
According to Hussein, agricultural produce from the Kurdistan Region has gained access to markets in central and southern Iraqi provinces, giving farmers wider outlets for selling their crops.
That market access has helped increase confidence among producers and encouraged them to expand cultivated areas.
The growth of onion farming in Akre comes as farmers seek to benefit from stronger demand and improved marketing opportunities.
According to data from the agriculture directorate, both white and red onions will be harvested and placed on the market after they mature over the next six months.
If the projected output is reached, total production will exceed 70,000 tons from more than 1,700 acres (7,000 dunams) planted this year.
For farmers, the coming season will depend on whether favorable weather continues and whether market conditions remain supportive when the crop is ready for sale.
The current expansion, however, shows that growers are entering the season with greater confidence than last year, supported by improved weather, previous market prices and wider access to buyers across Iraq.