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BABYLON, Iraq — The Arabian Peninsula, which includes part of southern Iraq, was once known for having the most palm trees in the world. The documented panoply of dates comes from 600 types of palm trees, out of 2,000 types in total. However, Iraqis are now consuming imported dates.
Al-Monitor asked farmer Abdul-Hussein al-Ali about this paradox. Ali hails from Al-Mezeediah village south of Babylon, about 62 miles south of Baghdad, and owns an orchard containing 60 palm trees. "The dates’ season started in July and will continue until mid-September. I am concerned over the accumulation of dates in the storeroom in my big house. I still have large amounts from last year's season, because I didn’t find buyers,” he said.
