Events | Number 3, December 2003 | Fruit of the Middle East

Fruit of the Middle East

A Liami

The earliest archeological finding related to the palm tree, lies in the Temple of the Moon God, near Ur in Iraq in
whose construction trunks of the palm tree have been used, probably between 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Later, in the Assyrian Empire, palm trees were popular elements in the reliefs that one can still find in Nineveh.

The date palm belongs to a biological family that comprises 200 genera and 1500 species, all of which belong to the warm regions of Asia and Africa. The palm tree is dioecious, that is to say there are male and female palms. The female begins to give fruit 4-20 years after the offshoot is planted and gives offshoots at about the
same time. The tree continues to bear fruit till the age of 100 or so.

The palm tree grows in areas where the summer is long and very warm and where there is no rain for about 6 months, from the date of pollination till harvesting, but it needs plenty of water to reach its roots. It also favors lowlands where there are seasonal winds coming from a vast region that extends from the Atlantic Ocean to India, from lat 20° N to lat 30° N.

Dates form an essential dietary item of many people in the regions where they grow and which are mostly poor. They also have commercial value in the international market as in many parts of the world, especially Christian countries and mainly among the Anglo-Saxon people, there are good markets for them, possibly because they are somehow mentally related to Jerusalem and Christ, hence the Christmas pudding contains a good quantity of dates.

From dates and the palm tree many products are derived. The sugar content of dates can turn into alcohol, vinegar, and liquid sugar. The leaves and branches can be used to produce mats, bags, baskets, ropes, and even tents and small boats. The height of the palm tree varies depending on the variety. The height of the tallest variety can exceed 30 m. The date itself may be so small as to weight 2 g only or as heavy as 60 g in
rare cases, and it can be 18 to 80 mm long. The diameter also varies from 8 to 32 mm.

The most common pests that threaten the date are fungi and the tick. The latter is fairly rare but the former is seen whenever humidity is high. In 1961, a survey was carried out on Iran’s palm trees and dates. Over 400 varieties were identified and it was established that the total number of palm trees in Iran was something
between 20 and 25 millions and the total annual production of dates was about 300,000 tonnes. The main varieties are the Sayer and Berhi (Khuzestan), Kabkab (Bushehr), Shahani and Mozafati (Kerman and Baluchistan). Sayer, Kabkab, and Mozafati are the varieties that are exported, Sayer being the largest.

In some parts of Iran, notably Baluchistan, where there are dangers of monsoon, dates have to be harvested before they are quite ripe. They are then spread on the ground and let to dry in the sun. At the time dates are
picked from the trees a sort of primary sorting is performed. The dates that are too dry, too soft, infested etc are removed and later used as animal fodder.

Packing of dates in Iran is usually carried out in the date gardens by the farmers except in case of dates that are to be exported. Even then, for exports to most of the countries of the regions, packing is performed in the gardens. Most such packing is done in cartons or in baskets made of the leaves of the palm tree. Dates are packed tightly so that there is no gap in which air can become trapped. Absence of air – a sort of semi-vacuum
– helps preserve dates for a much longer period.

Iran produced 13.3% of total world production in 1971-75 and 16.5% in 1986-89. Exports, however, are unpredictable and prone to haphazard fluctuations. Export of Sayer dates The Sayer is the only variety that has a considerable market abroad and grows in abundance in Iran (Khuzistan Province). Before the Islamic Revolution Iran’s export market for this variety was rather well-defined and secure as the US and Canadian buyers purchased considerable quantities of Sayers every year.

After the Revolution the US buyers turned to other sources because of the sanctions against Iran. Pakistan offered a variety that could substitute for the Iranian Sayer though it was not quite as good. By necessity the
market adapted to it and Iran lost a sure and rich buyer. From then on the Iranian Sayer was and still is at the mercy of a very few businessmen stationed in Europe, mainly London.