Iraq leads the world in the number of palm trees and holds the fourth position in global date production, according to Mithaak Abdul-Hussein, Technical Undersecretary at the Ministry of Agriculture. He also announced that Iraq exported 700,000 tons of dates in 2024.
In an interview with the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Abdul-Hussein revealed that “by 2025, Iraq’s palm tree count is expected to exceed 22 million, with plans to expand this number to 30 million in the coming years.”
He added, “Based on available data, Iraq ranks first globally with 22 million palm trees, followed by Iran with 21 million, Saudi Arabia with 12 million, Algeria with 9 million, and Egypt and Libya with 7 million each.”
Regarding date production, Abdul-Hussein noted that “Iraq ranks fourth worldwide, according to the latest statistics,” emphasizing a “significant increase in production in recent years.”
“In 2022, Iraq’s date production exceeded 650,000 tons, rising to around 725,000 tons in 2023. By 2024, production surpassed 800,000 tons, with over 700,000 tons exported to countries across the globe,” he stated.
Abdul-Hussein credited this growth to “the Ministry of Agriculture’s initiatives to support the agricultural sector and enhance exports, as part of a broader strategy to diversify the national economy and reduce reliance on oil.”
Source: Iraqi News Agency (INA)
