The Technical Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mithaq Abdul Hussein, confirmed on Saturday that Iraq ranks first in the world in the number of palm trees and fourth in date production globally. He also noted that Iraq exported 700,000 tons of dates in 2024.

Speaking to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Abdul Hussein stated, "As of 2025, the number of palm trees in Iraq is estimated at over 22 million, with plans to increase this number to 30 million in the coming years."

He added, "In terms of the number of palm trees, some data indicates that Iraq ranks first with 22 million palm trees, followed by Iran with 21 million, Saudi Arabia with 12 million, Algeria with 9 million, and both Egypt and Libya with 7 million each, according to available data."

Regarding date production, he mentioned, "Iraq ranks fourth globally according to the latest data," highlighting a significant increase in date production in recent years.

He elaborated, "In 2022, Iraq's production exceeded 650,000 tons, rising to approximately 725,000 tons in 2023, and surpassing 800,000 tons in 2024, with over 700,000 tons exported to various countries worldwide.

He concluded by stating that "this increase is the result of the Ministry of Agriculture's efforts to support the agricultural sector and enhance exports, aiming to diversify the national economy and reduce reliance on oil."