Taq Taq Fig Festival Attracts 20,000, Boosts Local Farmers
The fourth Taq Taq Fig and Local Products Festival drew over 20,000 tourists, allowing farmers to quickly sell 15 tons of figs and other local goods. The event, praised by officials, successfully boosted both local agriculture and regional tourism.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Taq Taq district’s fourth annual Fig and Local Products Festival proved to be a resounding success, drawing more than 20,000 tourists and providing a crucial marketplace for local farmers who saw their produce, including approximately 15 tons of figs, sell out rapidly.
The event, attended by a significant number of citizens and government officials, has become a key opportunity for the area's agricultural community to display and sell their goods directly to a wide audience.
The high turnout created a vibrant and bustling market, leading to most farmers selling their entire stock within the first hours of the festival's opening.
While the fig was the centerpiece, the festival also served as a broader showcase for the region's productivity. Dozens of other agricultural products, including natural apple cider vinegar and various other fruits, were displayed alongside local handicrafts.
One participant noted the importance of such festivals for introducing local products throughout Kurdistan, indicating that while the event is named for the fig, its scope includes a wide range of regional products and crafts.
Begard Talabani, the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources for the Kurdistan Regional Government, was in attendance and praised the festival's dual impact.
She stated that such activities are effective in both helping to market farmers' products and attracting tourism to the area.
The minister expressed her satisfaction with the outcome, saying, "I am happy to see that most of the products have been sold and a good market has been provided for our farmers."
The festival has been organized for the past four years through a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Kurdistan Region's Tourism Board.
Its stated primary objectives are to introduce and market the agricultural output of local farmers and to draw more tourists to the region's destinations.
The sustained success of the event is having a wider economic impact.
According to district officials, previous festivals have been highly successful, directly contributing to the Taq Taq fig gaining high demand in markets beyond the Kurdistan Region, including in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities.
