São Paulo – The Iraqi province of Diyala announced on Friday (21) the production of more than 70,000 tons of citrus fruit during the country’s winter season, according to a report published by the Iraqi state news agency INA.
Ismail Talib Hassan, Secretary of the Diyala Farmers’ Associations Union, said that markets and shops have witnessed crowding of local crops despite the presence of imported crops.
According to Hassan, there was an increase in fruit production in Diyala despite the water shortage the province experienced. “Diyala has suffered from drought over the past three years, which has had a severe impact on the agricultural situation in the province,” he said.
International organizations have been working to support agriculture in Diyala. A news report published at the end of 2024 by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) says that the agency, in partnership with the Japanese government, rehabilitated a nursery of the Diyala Department of Agriculture, providing irrigation and solar energy.
According to the report, this nursery will have more than 25,000 seedlings per year available for 4,000 farmers in the province and plays a crucial role in the local community, producing a diverse range of plants and trees, including fruit-bearing varieties such as citrus, apple, pomegranate, and fig trees, as well as ornamental and shade trees.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
