Kurdistan region bans crops from central and southern Iraq

ERBIL, September 20 — The Kurdistan region’s Minister of Agriculture has announced a ban on crops from central and southern Iraq, claiming the crops are imports, and that Baghdad had violated an agreement aimed at protecting domestic agriculture, especially in Kurdistan.

Minister Begard Dlshad Shukralla, stated in a press conference, “The entry of agricultural products, especially tomatoes, from central and southern Iraq into the Kurdistan region has been prohibited since yesterday.”

In response to questions from reporters about the reason for the ban, Shukralla accused Baghdad of “not adhering to the agricultural calendar between the region and the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture.”

“We agreed with Baghdad that the markets in the region would be centers for selling products from central and southern Iraq, with the central and southern regions serving as markets for Kurdistan’s products during its harvesting season,” she said.

“Since August 30, Baghdad has opened its doors to imported products from abroad, leading traders in the region to purchase imported goods, which has negatively impacted local Kurdistan products,” she added.