Fourth 'Grape Basket' festival opens in Erbil's Ankawa district

ERBIL, Iraq — The fourth "Grape Basket" festival opened this week in Ankawa, a district of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region, at the "Silwan Serdar" demonstration farm, with farmers, local residents and members of the Christian community in attendance. The festival aims to strengthen the agricultural sector, promote the quality of grapes produced in the area, expand marketing channels for local produce and encourage domestic consumption, according to organizers. In addition to a variety of grape cultivars, other agricultural products are being displayed at the event. Field host Silwan Serdar said hosting the festival for the fourth time was a message of hope and determination for farmers, not only an effort to showcase the crop. He said improved farming techniques could help the land achieve self-sufficiency and produce the highest quality grapes. Serdar also called for continued support for domestic agricultural products and for expanding the marketing network available to local farmers. No further details on the festival's duration or scheduled activities were immediately available.