KRG launches training courses for Kurdish farmers
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) launched training courses for Kurdish farmers in order to equip them with necessary farming skills as part of the government's efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector, according to a statement.
The launch comes as the government has recently intensified efforts to develop its agricultural sector in order to lessen the dependence on hydrocarbons, which used to constitute the lion’s share of the Region’s revenues.
Dubbed the National Training Program, the courses provide skills in farm management, irrigation, and packaging, a statement from the government read on Monday.
The instructors that provide the courses are experts from the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources as well as Higher Education and Scientific Research, Kurdistan 24 has learned.
The two-day courses will be given based on the needs of the farmers on specific skills, from the pre to post-harvesting phases.
The training began on Monday, according to the statement.
The Kurdistan Region has recently exported 300 tons of potatoes to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which similarly received Kurdish pomegranates last year, marking the first official export of Kurdish produce to the Gulf region under the government’s supervision as part of a pilot project.
Starting today, we're launching the Farmer's National Training Program. Kurdistani farmers will gain vital skills in farm management, irrigation, and packaging.
— Kurdistan Regional Government (@Kurdistan) July 31, 2023
Building a thriving future for our agricultural exports. pic.twitter.com/uLLTBflPAl
The government has been in contact with various regional market leaders and governments in order to draw their attention to the Kurdish produce, which has been hailed as “premium grade”, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has said on several occasions.
Honey and apples will be exported to the Gulf countries in 2023, according to the government.
"Kurdistan Region could become Iraq's food basket," Barzani said in a televised interview aired last December while speaking on his cabinet's efforts to develop the sector.