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    Iraq's ancient 'palm climbers' struggle for survival

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    Tuesday, October 19, 2021
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    Iraq's ancient 'palm climbers' struggle for survival

    Community has harvested southern Iraq's date palms for the past 6,000 years

    Published:  November 03, 2020 14:31 AFP  and  Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Senior Web Editor
    1 of 10
    palm climber gallery
    Jaliha, Iraq: Under the autumn Iraqi sun, Abbas Abbud expertly scrambles up the ragged trunk of the palm tree. His mission? Picking the juicy dates overhead, and keeping this ancient profession alive. Image Credit: AFP
    2 of 10
    palm climber gallery
    At 48, he is the last of several generations of "palm climbers," the nickname given to the community that has harvested southern Iraq's date palms for the past 6,000 years. Image Credit: AFP
    3 of 10
    palm climber gallery
    But decades of back-to-back wars, climate change and little support for farming communities have turned Iraq's iconic date palms and their harvesters into a rare breed. "We spend more than ten days on one palm field, but in recent years the numbers of trees and fields have decreased, affecting our jobs," says Abbud. Image Credit: AFP
    4 of 10
    palm climber gallery
    Every year, from October to December, he climbs into a harness, machete in hand, to slash dates from palms up to 23 metres (75 feet) tall. Cutting one palm earns him a mere 2,000 Iraqi dinars, or less than two US dollars. Image Credit: AFP
    5 of 10
    palm climber gallery
    With poverty rates expected to reach 40 percent this year, Abbud can't afford to skip the date season in Iraq's farming heartland of Diwaniyah province. Image Credit: AFP
    6 of 10
    palm climber gallery
    Under former dictator Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi state purchased dates from farmers at a price higher than the market rates, then packaged, marketed and exported them as far afield as the United States. The era is remembered as the golden age of Iraq's date industry. Image Credit: AFP
    7 of 10
    palm climber gallery
    Today, palms number less than half of the 30 million that dotted the country just two decades ago, says Mohammed Kashash, the head of Diwaniyah's farming cooperatives. Image Credit: AFP
    8 of 10
    palm climber gallery
    With local production so low, Iraq is faced with a reality its farmers would have never imagined: imported dates. Image Credit: AFP
    9 of 10
    palm climber gallery
    For palm climber Abbud, the important thing is being able to climb, cut and return to the ground safe and sound. Last year, his father died after falling from a palm tree, but Abbud chose to carry on the family tradition as a cutter, even as the industry falters. Image Credit: AFP
    10 of 10
    palm climber gallery
    Now, sitting comfortably atop a date tree, he looks out over a golden sun setting over endless Iraqi palms - and perhaps on his inherited livelihood. Image Credit: AFP

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