Drought, fear of arson attacks push Kirkuk farmers to early harvest

KIRKUK, Iraq — Drought and a fear of arson attacks has led farmers in Kirkuk province to harvest their crops two months earlier than usual. 

"In the past years, some of our farmland caught fire. Due to security reasons in the region, we hurried up and brought forward the harvest [by two to three months]. We have already taken precautions to respond to fire," said Mohammed Ghazi, a farmer from Yangija village. 

Arson has been a major issue for Kurdish farmers in recent years, particularly in Kirkuk and other parts of the disputed territories. 

Islamic State (ISIS) militants have previously set fire to farmland.

Drought is also a big problem. 

"Drought has had a serious impact on our agricultural plans in Kirkuk. This year, fifty percent of farmland will go to waste," said Zuhair Ali, head of Kirkuk's Agriculture Department.

Translation by Zhelwan Zeyad Wali

Video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed