Farmers in Kirkuk expand date palm project with 1,300 offshoots

Farmers in the Altun Kupri subdistrict of Kirkuk have started planting approximately 1,300 date palm offshoots, Shafaq News reported. The project involves 14 different Iraqi varieties and expands an agricultural pilot initiative in the region. [1]

The director of the local Agriculture Department, Mariwan Al-Salihi, stated that the initiative is the first of its kind in Altun Kupri. Shafaq News reported that the project originally began with 130 offshoots planted on land belonging to local farmer Sherko Hasari. [1]

Encouraged by early results from the initial plot, local farmers brought in additional date palm varieties from orchards located in Baghdad, Al-Hillah, and Diyala. Shafaq News noted that agricultural researchers coordinated directly with the local farmers to assist the expansion. [1]

Kirkuk is a major city in northern Iraq and serves as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate. It sits near the Khasa River and is home to a population of Kurds, Iraqi Turkmens, Arabs, and Assyrians. [2]