Iraq promotes date investment at international fair
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraq’s Date Council inaugurated an international date exhibition on Wednesday under the patronage of the Ministries of Trade and Agriculture and the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce.
Held at the Baghdad International Fairgrounds and running through the end of October, the event showcases Iraq’s diverse date varieties as part of efforts to promote national identity and attract foreign investment in agriculture and food processing.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Mahdi Saher al-Jubouri told
Shafaq News that the palm and date sector remains a key source of income for
farmers and exporters, generating substantial foreign currency through sales of
both raw and processed dates.
Citing UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data, he said Iraq produced 639,000 tons of dates in 2020 and 700,000 tons last year, accounting for 7.2% of global output, with exports exceeding half a trillion dinars in revenue.
Al-Jubouri acknowledged persistent challenges, including weak marketing, poor packaging, and limited pest control—particularly against the red palm weevil—but stressed that the government aims to boost non-oil revenues by strengthening agriculture and agribusiness.
During the opening, Al-Anbar Chamber of Commerce Chairman
Amer al-Fahdawi indicated that the chamber supports all initiatives to attract
private investment, including in the date sector, expressing hope that Iraq can
diversify its economy beyond oil.
Speaking to our agency, Saudi businessman Saleh al-Duwaishi affirmed that his visit sought to explore Iraq’s date varieties and identify opportunities in packaging and certification—fields where Saudi Arabia has advanced expertise. He noted Iraq’s growing production of molasses and date paste as promising areas for expansion.
Meanwhile, agricultural entrepreneur Hamza Imran al-Shammari revealed that his Babil-based company cultivates rare Iraqi varieties such as Qurnafal and Medjool, noting that Qurnafal dates sell for 50,000 dinars per kilogram, with seedlings priced above one million dinars, attracting regional buyers.
Once the world’s top exporter, Iraq supplied 75% of global demand until the late 1960s, when wars, neglect, and disease devastated the sector, dropping it to ninth place worldwide. The government has since launched a recovery plan to replant over 22 million palm trees, aiming to reach 30 million in the coming years.
Read more: How Baghdad’s Backyards Are Bringing Back Iraqi Dates
Local initiatives—particularly in Baghdad—are also reviving urban palm groves to preserve the crop’s cultural and economic importance. However, ongoing water shortages and drought continue to threaten agriculture, especially in the south, where palm cultivation is concentrated. According to the FAO, Iraq ranked fourth globally in 2023 with 735,000 tons of dates harvested and around 600,000 tons exported to markets in Turkiye, India, Egypt, Jordan, and several Gulf and European countries.
Read more: Iraq's agricultural landscape: Overcoming challenges amid water scarcity
