The date palm is a national icon and vital economic asset in Iraq, but increasing droughts are putting it under threat. Authorities have launched programmes to encourage tree planting and growth, but rural farmers are still struggling.
Iraq use to have a record of 30 million trees, Iraq has spent a lot of years trying to revive the specie. An indigene interviewed by Afp revealed production use to 3 times what they have now but now they produce only a quarter of the quantity because of the drought.
Previously we could harvest all the palm trees Palm trees, but not anymore except for those who took care of their orchards and they are very few he said. All the orchards have died due to the drought which hit Iraq 5, 6 years ago!!
Fighting the Iraq- Iran war palm grooves were razed in many areas as a military strategy to prevent infiltration
REMEDY
Authorities and religious institutions have since launched programmes to encourage tree planting and growth but rural farmers are still struggling
Th whole region is suffering, most orchards are dead except for the ones near the river side, Mr Talib [Farmer]
