Modern wholesale market to be built in Akre for agricultural produce

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region’s Akre district will have a modern wholesale market for its agricultural products.

The market, which is currently under construction, will be built outside Akre, Dilawar Mikael, the Akre mayor, told Kurdistan24.

The project will be completed in two years, he said, adding that 25 percent of the construction is complete now.

The wholesale market will have booths, cold storage, and fruit and vegetable markets, he said. 

The Kurdistan Region’s ninth cabinet has supported the construction of similar wholesale markets for agricultural produce in a bid to support farmers.

In addition to building new wholesale markets, the government has supported exporting local produce abroad.

The Kurdistan Region in the summer similarly 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.

To improve the quality of domestically grown products and abide by international standards, the KRG created a national training program for its farmers. The program aims to help Kurdish farmers prepare, grow, store, and export their produce.

The Kurdistan Agriculture Export Initiative, launched in 2022, is central to the KRG’s progressive reform agenda to diversify the economy and boost its agricultural sector.