Shafaq News- Halabja
Across the Hawraman mountains in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), walnut branches bend under the weight of green fruit as autumn arrives. For local families, the annual harvest provides income and preserves a longstanding agricultural tradition.
In Byara, a town in Halabja province, residents gather in orchards to pick and prepare walnuts for sale. The crop, valued for its distinctive flavor and quality, is closely associated with the area’s mountainous climate.
Farmer Sherzad Hawrami told Shafaq News that harvesting runs from late September through October, when the fruit reaches maturity. “The season is an important period for orchard owners, many of whom depend on the seasonal income from their trees.”
The work is physically demanding, as tall trees, dense branches, and steep slopes require workers to use traditional tools to dislodge walnuts before gathering them.
Byara resident Kawa Mohammed views the annual activity as “an opportunity” for families to work together, with older generations teaching younger relatives the skills needed to maintain their orchards.
The crop attracts buyers from across the KRI, with markets offering fresh and dried walnuts. Seller Kamran Jabbari reported strong demand for produce from Hawraman and Byara, priced between $2 and $6 per kilogram depending on size, shell thickness, and kernel quality.
Widely used in local cuisine and popular among visitors to Halabja, walnuts are also grown in mountainous areas of Al-Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, and Duhok provinces.
A 2025 study in the Journal of Kerbala for Agricultural Sciences has identified locally named walnut types associated with Hawraman, Denarta, and Choman, although further research is needed to determine which qualify as distinct, formally recognized varieties.
Despite their commercial value, growers face water shortages, changing weather patterns, pests, diseases, and the costs of maintaining aging trees. Limited market access and fluctuating prices add to the pressure, making better storage, orchard management, and marketing important for sustaining production and improving earnings.
Read more: Discover Iraq: Halabja- Where land, memory, and resilience intertwine