2026-10-08T14:45:02+00:00
Shafaq News- Duhok
The fourth Local Products Festival opened on Thursday in Barwari Bala, northern Duhok province, in Iraqi Kurdistan, with 215 stalls featuring agricultural produce, handicrafts, and traditional Kurdish foods.
Festival organizer Fahmi Baley told Shafaq News that the event aims to support local farmers, encourage residents to return to their villages, and revive rural economies. This year’s participants include 103 farmers, 50 handicraft producers, and around 20 to 25 Kurdish food vendors, alongside honey and sweets makers, painters, and photographers.
Apples are a major crop in Barwari Bala, where farmers grow more than 12 varieties, with about 4,000 tons available for market this year, according to Baley.
Farmer Akram Mohammed Ahmed Barwari reported a strong harvest this season, with local orchards producing American, Golden, Lebanese, and Ghanimos apple varieties, alongside walnuts, figs, and raisins. However, he warned that competition from imported apples, particularly from Iran, makes it difficult for local growers to market their produce.
He called for regulating imports during the domestic harvest season, noting that a box of locally grown apples sells for about 15,000 Iraqi dinars ($9.87), while a single orchard can yield more than 20 tons in a good year.
The festival also promotes investment in processing agricultural products into juice and jam to expand marketing opportunities for growers.
1 USD = 1520 dinar
Source: Shafaq News
