From farm to fork with Iraqi farmers in Basra

Basra is the southernmost governorate in Iraq and home to more than four million people. Many families across Basra work as farmers, harvesting tomatoes and caring for water buffalo. However, poverty and unemployment levels in Basra have continued to rise as these families lack access to markets, which inhibits their ability to sell their products and support themselves.

Hussein, a tomato farmer from Basra, explained: “My family has been growing and harvesting food here for decades. We have invested so much in cultivating our tomato crops, but we can’t find a way to sell our products for a reasonable price. We’re losing money and can’t pay our debts or support ourselves any longer.”

Struggle to sell locally

Farmers in Basra struggle not only to produce their tomatoes because of increasing temperatures and poor water quality, but also to sell their harvest. Selling tomatoes in local markets or close to their homes has not given them the profit needed to pay off the costs of seeds, fertilizer, and water, on top of sustaining themselves.

“We are not responsible for the prices of our tomatoes in the local markets and we don’t have the tools to go to large grocery stores or private sector buyers to sell our products there,” says Hussein. “My neighbors, my sons and I don’t have the connections to sell our tomatoes on a larger scale.”

The average monthly income for farmers in Basra surveyed by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is only IQD 280,000 or USD $191. Most families struggle to make ends meet and go into debt trying to keep up with the costs of production for their crops. The scorching heat of the summer, alongside reduced electricity and challenges accessing water, only make it more difficult for farmers to survive.

Farmers attending NRC's workshop at Basra university Photo: Caroline Zullo/ NRC

Empowering farmers

Seeing these challenges, initiatives have kicked off to support and empower farmers in Basra and across all of Iraq. The Strengthening Agriculture and Agri-Food Value Chain and Improving Trade Policy project, also known as SAAVI, aims to strengthen the link between farmers and buyers and support the production of high-potential agricultural crops and products. Through generous funding from the European Union, SAAVI activities provide hands-on support to farmers to understand how they can better market their products and sell to large-scale buyers to increase their income and support themselves.

In June 2022, a market-awareness event took place at Basra University where more than fifty farmers attended to understand and address the key barriers that they face in selling their tomatoes. Men and women from across the governorate sat together to discuss how they sell their products in local markets and the challenges in setting a reasonable price.

Ali, a tomato farmer who works with his two sons, said: “We have already invested so much money in fertilizer and seeds, but we cannot make enough profit from selling the tomatoes to support our family. We usually go to the local market in our area to sell our crops, but there are so many other farmers doing the same and we can’t compete. The price keeps dropping and it’s not enough for us, but we all face this issue and don’t know what to do.”

Local community attending NRC's workshop at Basra university

Partnering with the private sector for progress

To connect farmers to wider markets, NRC Iraq livelihood teams and the International Trade Centre (ITC) brought representatives from the private sector to create these linkages, as well as provide technical advice on how to better market their products. Representatives from the company Waffir commented: “These farmers have a lot of potential to sell their local goods, but the other producers that we already work with market their tomatoes with specific packaging and their products are always clean and ready for sale. The local farmers can be far more competitive and sell to large companies if they can adapt the way they market themselves and also consider how they can diversify their crops by producing tomato paste or canned tomatoes.”

The tomato farmers present were eager to learn more and collaborate with each other to expand their sales across southern Iraq.

“Receiving this guidance and being able to sit down with private sector buyers is helpful to understand how my tomatoes can compete in larger markets and the opportunities that we farmers have in Basra,” said Ali.

“I’m excited to learn more and pass this knowledge on to my children. We have felt stuck for so long and haven’t known where to turn. I can use the skills I have always had but apply them to can our tomatoes to be able to also generate income in winter months.”

Farmers have skills and knowledge passed down from generations in Iraq to grow and sell their crops. This expertise is valuable and must be harnessed. They only need support to broaden the scope of their sales through increased access to markets.

The June 2022 market-awareness event was one of ten sessions that NRC and ITC will continue to hold across Basra, Baghdad, and Ninewa governorates so that farmers there not only improve their bargaining power and market awareness skills, but also have a sustainable livelihood to support themselves and their families.