AKRE, Kurdistan Region -- Rice production in Akre has decreased threefold this year, according to the local agricultural department, as the Kurdistan Region grapples with an ongoing water crisis.
Farmers have only been able to cultivate a fraction of their land due to water shortages.
“It takes [a lot] of water to grow rice. Water levels have decreased due to a lack of rain. I need a three-inch water pipe for my farm. Wells have dried up. We have dug at least two more pipes to be able to reach the water,” said rice farmer Mohammed Salih.
Akre, in Duhok province, is well-known throughout the Kurdistan Region for its rice.
The rice harvest has yet to take place this year, but traders are already expecting an increase in prices.
“As a result of the decrease in rice production from last year, the price of rice will rise. Kurdish rice is increasingly in demand, year after year,” said Saifullah Ramdhan.
The Kurdistan Region is suffering from ongoing water shortages. Drought and water projects in neighbouring Iran and Turkey have contributed to the problem.
Translation and video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed
