Wafra Farms

Wafra in Kuwait's far south is an agricultural district laid out on the desert and irrigated from groundwater, growing dates, vegetables, fodder and fruit in a country that imports almost all its food. The blocks of green against bare desert are striking from the road. Farms sell direct at times and some keep livestock. The water is being drawn faster than it recharges, which is the district's central problem. The district was laid out in the 1950s and now covers several thousand hectares of holdings.

What you actually see

• The irrigated blocks - green cultivation laid out on bare desert.
• The date palms - the groves across the district.
• The vegetable production - the crops grown for the domestic market.
• The groundwater question - the aquifer the whole district depends on.

When to go

November to March is the growing and harvest season for most crops. Summer heat is extreme. Farm visits must be arranged.

Honest expectations

These are working private farms, not a visitor attraction, and access needs arranging. The district is spread out and needs a car. Groundwater depletion is a real and worsening issue.

Nearby

Al Khiran is east, and the Saudi border is south.