Duhok: Rice crops damaged by heavy rains and floods

Shafaq News- Duhok

Heavy rains and flooding in parts of Duhok province in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq over the past few days have caused significant damage to rice fields, destroying crops and delaying harvesting operations.

Hussein Yassin, a farmer affected in Bardarash district, east of Duhok, told Shafaq News that rainfall exceeded expectations, preventing farmers from reaching their fields in time. As a result, large areas of farmland were flooded, damaging rice crops.

Yassin estimated his losses at around 20 tughars of rice, adding that floodwaters submerged the fields and caused extensive crop damage.

Another farmer, Azad Jassim, told Shafaq News that heavy rains, floods, and strong winds affected most rice fields in the area, including those that were not directly flooded.

“Strong winds caused rice panicles to scatter, destroying large quantities of crops,” he explained, estimating the damaged harvest at between 10 and 20 tughars, possibly more.

Jassim said between 15 and 20 farmers in the area had suffered significant financial losses, as rice cultivation represents their primary source of income.

He added that farmers had invested considerable effort and money throughout the agricultural season, only to suffer widespread losses as heavy rains and flooding struck shortly before harvest time.

Most farmers in the area sustained varying degrees of crop damage from the rain and strong winds, which hit the fields during a critical stage of the agricultural season. Farmers expressed hope that they would receive compensation for their losses.