Karbala Agriculture Directorate launches 2026–2027 winter plan on 254,409 donums

The Karbala Agriculture Directorate announced on Tuesday the start of implementing the 2026–2027 winter agricultural plan on a total area of 254,409 donums after approval by the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources, aiming to support local production and strengthen food security.

Director of Karbala Agriculture Hashim Najm al-Zuhairi said in a statement that the plan allocated 7,354 donums to the planting of winter vegetable crops, with the goal of diversifying local production and supplying vegetables to markets during the season.

The areas allocated to vegetables were divided among multiple crops, including 777 donums for covered tomatoes, 767 donums for covered cucumbers and 360 donums for covered eggplant, in addition to 1,673 donums for dry (bulb) onion, 425 donums for green onion, 15 donums for pepper, 972 donums for broad beans and 55 donums for okra.

The distributions also included 278 donums for turnips, 155 donums for sugar beet, 5 donums for carrots, 12 donums for garlic, 38 donums for covered trees, 10 donums for cabbage, 1,520 donums for potatoes and 292 donums allocated to leafy vegetables.

Al-Zuhairi added that the comprehensive winter plan covers extensive areas of cereals and forage crops, allocating 229,507 donums to wheat, 1,987 donums to barley, 7,779 donums to al-jat, 3,350 donums to clover, and 4,432 donums to fodder mixtures alongside the areas dedicated to vegetables.

He noted that irrigation water for the lands included in the plan will rely on multiple water sources, including artesian wells, the Husseiniya River, the Bani Hasan stream and the Hilla–Kifl project, according to the distribution of agricultural areas within the plan.