Shafaq News/ Basra's harvest of dates this year suffices the domestic demand only, a senior official at the Governorate's Directorate of Agriculture, and water scarcity remains the date grower concern.

The head of the Dates department in the Directorate, Abdul-Azim Kadhem, told Shafaq News Agency, "dates harvests in the past few years was bad because of high water salinity."

"Palms are irrigated by the ebb and flow without human intervention," he explained, "the quality of the product relies on salinity."

"This year, freshwater from the Tigris allowed producing dates at a good rate. Dates harvest suffices the domestic consumption."

"The low price of dates and cutting off the palms prompt the farmer to shun the industry," he continued, "water scarcity remains the farmer's biggest concern, though."