Anbar Greenhouse Initiative Develops Local Agriculture, Promotes Water Conservation

May 25, 2010

Hoop houses along the Euphrates (State Department)

Inside a hoop house (State Department)

May 25, 2010, Ramadi – On a recent helicopter tour over the Euphrates valley, visiting members of the press witnessed a new addition to this ancient landscape.  Representing Iraq’s contribution to eco-friendly agriculture, hoop houses are changing the nature of farming in Anbar Province.

Since mid-2009, PRT Anbar, in cooperation with its local partners, has financed and installed nearly 500 hoop houses throughout the province.  Costing $3,200 a piece, the “hoops” measure 52 meters long, 9 meters wide and 3.5 meters tall.  In addition to their aluminum frame and plastic covering, each hoop house is equipped with a drip irrigation and fertilizer delivery system.

Local farmers use the hoop houses to grow strawberries, tomatoes, zucchinis, squash, beans and peas.  These products are then taken directly to market, where locally grown produce is becoming more widely available and economically competitive.

The hoop houses have also helped create jobs in Anbar Province.  Each hoop house supports three short-term jobs for training and installation and six long-term jobs for agricultural labor.  These jobs are particularly important in Anbar, where 40 percent of the population is employed in the agricultural sector.

But it’s the drip irrigation system that makes these hoops so important to the future of Anbar.  Damming of the Euphrates River in Syria and Turkey, coupled with a persistent drought over the past five years, has dramatically reduced the amount of water available in the province.  While Anbar still has enough water to meet the domestic needs of its residents, the agricultural sector is placing a significant strain on the system.

Anbar, like all of Iraq, still relies on agricultural practices dating back to the beginning of civilization.  Flood irrigation has always been the primary means of nourishing this province’s agricultural fields.   Reduced resources, however, have compelled the government to decrease the amount of water released into the Euphrates and to reconsider its water management practices.

Drip irrigation provides an eco-friendly alternative by economizing the amount of water used on crops and reducing wastage from evaporation.  Decreased water demand relieves pressure on the Euphrates River and allows the Ministry of Water to better allocate its existing water resources.

In cooperation with the Director General (DG) of Agriculture, the DG of Agriculture Extension and the Al-Anbar Farmer’s Federation, the PRT has identified hundreds of farmers throughout the province to participate in the Anbar Greenhouse Initiative.

The project, which entailed an investment of approximately $1.5 million, has become self-sustaining as Anbari farmers pay for half of the equipment and installation fees.  This money is then cycled back in to the program to provide funding for additional hoops.  All told, this initiative has provided nearly 500 hoop houses in the past year alone.

Commenting on the program, Anbar Governor Qasim Al-Fahadawi said, “Thanks to the support from the PRT and the U.S. agriculture specialists, our farmers are now able to provide the Anbari people with locally grown fruits and vegetables.”

In sponsoring the Greenhouse Initiative, the PRT and its partners have introduced a forward-looking and environmentally conscious program to a vital part of the Anbari economy.  This initiative is another example of how the PRT is working together with its local partners to bring positive change to the people of Anbar.