Produce rising from the ashes of Saddam Hussein’s brutal attack on northern Iraq two decades ago is set for the UK.
The Kurdistan regional government is backing a push to begin exporting fruit and vegetables to the UK from the area which was targeted by the dictator between 1988 to 1990.
During a presentation at the World Fruit & Vegetable Show in London last week, the regional government’s senior advisor in capacity building, Tom Hardie-Forsyth, explained that Hussein’s forces destroyed 4,500 villages in the region on fertile land which is now being cultivated.
Hardie-Forsyth predicted the now peaceful region could begin exporting to the UK as early as next September.
Growers have been working on bringing the land back up to a good standard while rebuilding infrastructure and UKTI recently set up a permanent base at the British consulate.
The region offers a wide range of products including grapes, apricots, pears and peaches but a particular focus is being put on pomegranates.
The government has a strategy to improve self-sufficiency in the country, giving grants for 40-50 per cent of irrigation systems and is encouraging young farmers into the trade.
Hardie-Forsyth told FPJ: “We have the technical ability to export fruit and vegetables, it’s just about upscaling to handle large volumes. We have not had a security incident since 2004 and it is a safe place for Western tourists. UKTI has been very supportive and recently subsidised a delegation to Erbil to improve trade links.”
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