BAQUBAH, Iraq — The view from a Black Hawk helicopter is of a lush triple canopy -- vegetables carpeting the ground in square green swatches, orange trees crouching over them in verdant rows, and towering above them all, Iraq's king crop, date palms.
But farmers have a different perspective on the ground -- one of internecine political violence and gunmen waiting for them on the way to market.
The U.S. military is attempting to revive Iraq's date palm industry, which has been badly neglected since 2003, and on Monday arranged a trip for reporters to see the fruits of its labor at a date palm festival in Baqubah.
"Festival" might have been a bit of an overstatement. The exhibition hall was surrounded by Iraqi security forces, and eight Humvees were parked outside its tall walls. Reporters were advised to wear flak jackets in case of attack, and inside, there appeared to be more empty seats than full. Those browsing on baskets of the sticky, sweet fruit were mostly American troops or State Department employees.
Iraq's dates are traditionally used to break fasts during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. They have been a source of national pride since the time of Hammurabi, about 3,700 years ago. Baqubah, which is also known as the "City of Oranges," was famous for its dates until 2003, when neglect exposed the trees to pests. Harvests were good for little more than coarse date-seed bread and animal feed.
Processing plants for date-palm oil, syrup and honey have moldered since the U.S.-led invasion. Factory owners have fled Baqubah, fearing the daily kidnappings, killings and bombings.
The U.S. military, however, believes the date industry is key to creating jobs and damping the sectarian violence that has rocketed in Baqubah in recent weeks.
The festival was held to celebrate the best crop in years -- about 70,000 tons, up 50% from 2005.
The bumper crop, which came after U.S. forces helped restart pesticide spraying, is still a far cry from prewar yields.
"That's a very small harvest," said Chamber of Commerce member Abu Alla, whose name means "father of Alla." Abu Alla, who declined to give his family name for fear of being targeted for attack, said the harvest "should be twice as large."
"Really there is no actual support for the date palm farmers," Abu Alla said. "We've treated the dates with crop dusters, but our palms are sick and need further treatment. All agriculture in Iraq needs equipment and treatment. We have experience, but we lack equipment."
