Date industry revived

A project to revitalise Iraq's fledging date industry started this month as 1 mt of palm trees were distributed to the municipality of al-Tashree in southern Baghdad, with tons more to be delivered to farms around Baghdad in the coming days. Date production in Iraq represented approximately 75 percent of the total world production before Saddam Hussein's regime. Under his regime the number of date palms decreased from 14 to 4 million, due to neglect and lack of materials. Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) officials said that the export of dates could increase by at least 40 percent next year, with help from the distribution project and by putting in place as many trees as there were 25 years ago. The country was home to some 30 million trees once, with most of them in the south. But the devastating eight-year Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s and destruction of the marshlands wiped out almost half of them. The budget for the palm date tree rejuvenation project is US $100,000, donated by the Project and Contracting Office (PCO), part of the US government, and according to ministry officials it is an investment for the future. Date trees are not only a business but a tradition for farmers in Iraq, passed on from generations to generations and employing thousands of Iraqis. "We have been cultivating dates as a family tradition for years, but economically it is not like before. There isn't an interest from the government like years ago. We need more investment in this sector," Wissama Abbas, a date farmer on the outskirts of Baghdad, told IRIN. The municipality of al-Tashree is responsible for the local administration of the Iraqi nationals who live in the international zone in Baghdad. The dates, harvested from the grounds surrounding one of Saddam Hussein's Baghdad palaces, will be distributed among the poor farmers as an incentive and to help kick start the date industry. The date palm has more significance than any other fruit for Muslims and according to Islamic traditions was the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. Dates are also consumed to break the fast during the holy month of Ramadan. In addition to eating dates in their natural form, Iraqis use them as ingredients in baked products; to make vinegar for salads; as well as making pure date syrup. The MoA is also targeting newcomers to the agricultural scene and providing those interested in date farming with trees and knowledge of how to take care of them. "It is one of the best incentives for ensuring the future of agriculture of this country, especially when you help people increase their knowledge and prosperity," Dr Salsam Sheriff from the MoA, told IRIN. "This project will bring more work and support for thousands of families around Iraq who depend on this for their survival. It is one of the important steps taken by the US and Iraqi governments," Sa'ad Ibrahem, a date seller, told IRIN.