In the sunlit orchards of Akre district in Duhok province, figs still ripen sweet and tender, but climate change and a market slump due to low demand have left farmers with smaller harvests and falling prices.

“This year, the fig yield has decreased, the reason being climate change and reduced rainfall. Fortunately, the quality has remained the same, and it has not affected the tenderness and sweetness of the figs, as we do not use chemical substances,” Ghazali Mohammed, an elderly farmer from Akre, told Rudaw on Tuesday.

Fig prices fell sharply this year, according to Mohammed, who cited unpaid salaries of the Kurdistan Region’s civil servants as the primary reason. 

“The lack of salaries and a poor market have caused prices to fall. In previous years, at the beginning of the fig ripening season, one kilogram was sold for 15,000 dinars, but this year the price started at 8,000 dinars and has now dropped to around 5,000 dinars.”

Akre, known for its mountainous terrain and picturesque scenery, is about 92 kilometers north of Erbil city. Its figs are renowned as some of the best quality produced in the region. 

According to Akre’s agriculture directorate, fig orchards in the district cover between 1,500 and 2,000 dunams, with the region home to more than 240,000 fig trees.

The ancient town’s figs are renowned for their exceptional sweetness, distinctive yellowish color, and thick, desirable pulp. These characteristics, combined with significant local production that supports the region's economy, make Akre's figs a celebrated part of its agricultural heritage and culinary identity.