Rice is one of the most popular grains, not only in Kurdistan but in the whole of Asia, which is considered a staple food. In Kurdistan, eating rice as a main meal is in great demand, which has increased the demand for domestic rice in the last few years. Therefore, farmers have turned to rice cultivation again; last two years a large area of land in the Kurdistan Region, especially in Harir, Duhok, Akre, Bazian, and Ranya was planted with rice.
1- Hormzyan village in Bazian district is a large area of rice cultivation and the purpose of rice cultivation in this area is to obtain rice bran that has a high quality in terms of variety.
2- Harir Plain is one of the plains of the South part of Kurdistan that is famous for both soil and water and annually produces a lot of rice. In the Harir and Batas plains located in Erbil province, about 450 dunams of land are planted with local and Kurdish rice. It produces about 600 tons of rice, which is one of the best varieties of rice.
A higher percentage is expected to be planted this year than in previous years.
The production of rice is much higher than other grains. For each tin of rice planted, 50 tons of rice are paid back to farmers on the fields, and each tin of rice costs 50,000-70,000 IQD.
3- In Duhok province, a large area is planted with rice, especially in the districts of Akre, Bardarash, Sheikhan, and Amedi. In terms of cultivation and quantity of production, the Akre district ranks first in terms of variety and quantity.
Duhok General Directorate of Agriculture (DGA) talked about rice production amount in Duhok province and said that in 2017, farmers in Duhok planted 9,764 dunams of rice and produced 7,811 tons. In 2018, the planted area was 11,726 of rice and produced 9,382 tons, and it is planned to increase the area. Akre rice is the best type of rice in this region due to the suitability of the region, water resources, and skills of the local people, and even the type of rice that is in great domestic demand.
4- In Ranya, this year farmers had planted 50 dunams of land. Several types of rice are produced in Ranya town, including Qula Sur, Bazian, Sadriya, and Hambara.
In terms of quality, Qula Sur and Sadriya rice are popular in the markets.
From May, most of the villages in the Shawre Valley start planting rice and the work is done collectively until mid-October. It should be well watered. The water should never be cut off from the rice. Sulaiman Omar, a farmer in Nore village of Shawre Valley, said that earlier the lands were plowed by cows and many farmers got tired of it, but now most of the work is done with tractors.
The role of women is as obvious as other jobs, and the men sieve the rice and they prepare the food. Later, they help in separating the rice.
Regarding the rice production in 2020 in Ranya, more than 50 dunums of rice will be planted annually in Ranya town, this year the amount planted was higher than last year.
5- Garmian is another region of the South part of Kurdistan that currently produces the best types of rice, and the products of this region are sent to Kurdistan and even to parts of Iraq. This year’s production is expected to reach 1400 tons of rice. Three types of rice are cultivated in the region and about 1,600 dunums are planted with rice.
According to research, the climate and soil of Kurdistan are very suitable for rice cultivation, and if more area is planted with this product, the Kurdistan Region will not need to import rice from other countries and year after year, the production is increasing fortunately. The Ministry of Agriculture said 38.5 kilograms of rice has been considered for the annual needs of a person.
