Potato Crop Down 8% in 2010

A spokesman for Iraq's Planning Ministry has blamed neighbouring countries for the decline in the country's potato crop.

Iraq harvested 200,000 tons of potatos in 2010, compared to 223,000 tons in 2009 - a drop of almost 8%, Abdul-Zahra al-Hindawai told AKnews.

He related the decline to the drop in the level of rivers flowing from neighbouring countries into Iraq, and blamed those countries for the drop due to a number of huge agricultural and irrigation projects.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Iraqi Agriculture Ministry banned the importation of potatoes. The ban will come into effect from mid February and last until April to "encourage the local crop consumption".

(Source: AKnews)

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