ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A fig festival has drawn thousands of tourists to a town in southern Erbil province where over 60 percent of the population make a living out of farming.
Kurdistan Region's Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Begard Talabani attended the festival in the town of Taqtaq.
"There is high demand for Taqtaq's fig. Not just the fig produce. Taqtaq is well-known for several other products, due to the region's topography and abundant water resources," Talabani told Rudaw.
She said the government is working to protect domestic produce and find markets for them. Most of what is not sold within the Kurdistan Region is shipped south.
"We export all the agricultural products to the central and southern Iraqi provinces, including figs," she explained. "Every year, we export over 4,000 tons of potatoes to the Gulf countries.
Taqtaq is located in Koya district and is a popular tourist destination due to its breathtaking landscapes and the Lesser Zab River.
Over "60 percent of the Taqtaq population makes a living out of agriculture," Aso Mustafa, the district mayor, told Rudaw. "This the first festival of its kind and so far some 20,000 tourists have come to visit it."
"The agricultural products in Taqtaq are plentiful. Our soil is fertile and the Lesser Zab River's waters go through our city. This is very important,” he added.
The town welcomed over 150,000 holidaymakers from southern Iraq in 2024.
The Kurdistan Region’s tourism sector heavily relies on visitors from central and southern Iraq.
