Sulaymaniyah reports record rainfall season, lifting over 2 million dunams of farmland

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — The Sulaymaniyah Directorate of Agriculture said the recent rainfall season was the strongest in years, with around 795 millimeters of precipitation recorded across the province. Deputy Director Jewtiar Khalid said more than 2 million dunams of farmland had clearly benefited from the rains, and that local crops had produced a surplus this season. According to the directorate, the extra output has already begun being marketed to other Iraqi cities, and preparations are under way to export certain vegetables and fruits. Livestock has also recovered, with revived pastures providing better feed for sheep, cattle and other animals. Khalid noted that high meat prices in the province are not driven solely by local factors, pointing instead to rising global livestock prices, the lingering effects of previous drought years and restrictions on animal imports. He said the current season nevertheless offered a suitable foundation for the sector to recover.