ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than 32,000 people visited Duhok's grape and honey festival earlier this week - a significant increase compared to the previous year, a local official said on Wednesday.
Around 50 farmers took part in the two-day 18th grape and honey festival in Duhok, which ended on Tuesday. The event also featured livestock products and other fruits.
"Unlike previous years, the festival this year lasted two days. More produce was sold and more visitors and tourists came to the festival this year," Ahmed Jamil, head of Duhok province's agriculture department, told Rudaw, adding they plan to expand next year to accommodate more visitors.
Jamil detailed that last year 10,000 people visited the festival, but this year the number jumped to 32,000.
"Thirty tons of grapes, 2.1 tons of honey, 1.7 tons of dried fruits, and 345 kilograms of sumac were sold in the festival," he said. "We have 105 types of grapes and 55 of them were displayed at the festival."
The honey harvest plummeted by more than 50 percent from last year's 300 tons to just 127 tons, reflecting the severe impact of drought on the Region's agricultural output.
Duhok produces most of the Kurdistan Region's grapes, with the province implementing measures to support local farmers. From July 1 to November 15, grape imports to the Kurdistan Region have been banned, "which has greatly benefited the marketing of grapes," Jamil said.
Duhok's agricultural produce has gained international recognition, with Kurdistan Democratic Party leader President Masoud Barzani recently gifting local honey to Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo during the opening of a Peshmerga memorial park in the French capital.
According to the Duhok Horticulture Directorate, more than 39 dunams of land within the province have been cultivated with vineyards, supporting the Region's grape production despite challenging climate conditions.
The festival underscores Kurdistan Region's efforts to promote local agriculture amid regional challenges, with officials using the event to highlight both the resilience of local farmers and the quality of indigenous produce.