First batch of Kurdish apples exported to Qatar

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The first-ever shipment of apples from the Kurdistan Region was exported to Qatar on Wednesday afternoon, according to Begard Talabani, a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) agricultural minister. 

The payload was weighed at five tons, with similar batches to be exported in the future, according to the senior KRG official.

Meanwhile, Talabani said that the export of apples to Qatar is “just the beginning and the process will continue.”

She further noted that the quality of domestic produce in the Kurdistan Region is “of premium grade.”

"The KRG Ninth Cabinet has developed a strategic plan for exporting domestic products to the Kurdistan Region,” Talabani underscored.

The Cabinet's next objective in the export process is to involve the active participation of 10 local farmers, ideally creating an 600 jobs.

She also revealed that they also plan to export livestock and eggs from Kurdistan Region poultry farms.

Called “Barwari Apples” among locals, the fruit originates from the mountainous Duhok Province, although the fruit is not believed to belong to a certain species of apples, and is rather a marketing label.

This year at the Davos Forum, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani promoted Barwari Apples to business leaders, including the Majid Al-Fatim Group of Companies–which owns the Carrefour Market chain. 

Testing of the product was conducted both internally and in the United Arab Emirates. After inspecting the apples and finding them to be of high quality, company leadership agreed to source them.

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. 

Editing by Dastan Muwaffaq

Editing by Dastan Muwaffaq