Cucumber production has increased sharply in Bradost this year. Strong rainfall and favorable weather helped farmers produce a larger crop. However, oversupply has pushed prices down by about 60%. Many growers now struggle to recover their costs.
Two university graduates, Namiq and Ibrahim, planted a large area with cucumbers. They hoped to make a profit from the harvest. Instead, they now focus on covering basic expenses.
Ibrahim Adil, a local farmer, said profit has fallen below 100,000 Iraqi dinars per tonne. He warned that some growers may not recover the money they spent. Costs include seeds, labor, irrigation and other farm inputs.
One farmer planted ten bags of cucumber seed. When the crop matured, low prices left him with few options. He told local people to take the cucumbers for free. Selling them at 100 dinars per kilogram was not worth the effort.
Farmers say agriculture in the area often feels like a gamble. They cannot predict market prices before harvest time. They also lack certainty about demand.
Bradost cucumbers use mountain water and relatively few chemicals. Farmers currently sell them for less than 200 dinars per kilogram. In city markets, sellers charge 500 dinars or more for the same product.
A local produce seller blamed the price drop on high output. Good weather encouraged more farmers to grow cucumbers this season.
Bradost remains one of the Kurdistan Region’s important seasonal farming areas. Around 1,800 farmers work there each year. During peak cucumber season, they send more than 100 tonnes to regional markets every day.
The area also produces large amounts of tomatoes. Farmers supply local markets and several Iraqi provinces. Growers now want better marketing, stronger planning and easier access to buyers. They say stronger market coordination could reduce waste and prevent sharp price collapses during future harvest seasons.
