Kurdshop - The development of agriculture in any country is the cause of the formation of the foundation of the state and in terms of filling domestic food, marketing, and even exchange and trade in order to strengthen the state economy, is considered one of the main points. As we know, Kurdistan soil has been used for agriculture since ancient times and has fertile and powerful soil that we can use for now and in the future.

Potato production in Kurdistan has been planned for about 15 years. Since 2009, potato cultivation has been included in the list of strategic products of the five-year plan of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kurdistan Region and started importing potato seeds from the Netherlands and France. Since 2018, Kurdistan has been able to produce 85000 tons of potatoes annually. Currently, by 2023, production is expected to increase to 752000 tons.

Currently, 35000 dunams of land in the Kurdistan Region are cultivated with potatoes annually, so the production of potatoes in Kurdistan has been increasing every year, and the demand for it has increased day by day. This has increased the demand for Kurdistan potatoes not only domestically but also in many countries in Canada and many other countries.

Types of potatoes

Kurdistan has varieties of potatoes, especially types such as: "Casevra, Locinta, Slivana, and many others and the varieties are the best of potatoes and have long life and tolerate a long time and the rate of spoilage does not reach 1 percent because they are produced in the best way and with high quality.

The potatoes are produced after about 150-160 days and are harvested in August and September.

Potatoes are produced in many parts of Kurdistan and many other areas are suitable for potato production, but 70% of the potato production in the Kurdistan Region is produced in the Nawkur part of Bardarash district.

The Nawkur Plain of Bardarash is a fertile plain that produces a large number of agricultural products, especially potatoes, annually and provides employment opportunities for more than 3000 workers.

In 2020, about 30000 dunams of agricultural land in Duhok province were planted with potatoes. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, Duhok province is the leading province in the cultivation and production of potatoes in the Kurdistan Region and currently 78% of Kurdistan potatoes are produced in the province.

Currently, 75 tons of potatoes are processed into chips daily in a factory in Sulaimani. The factory employs 200 young people and processes potatoes from Kurdistan farms into chips in six different flavors and sends them to all Iraqi provinces. The factory produces 500000 bags of chips per day. However, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG) said that McDonald's branches in the Gulf countries have requested to export Kurdistan potatoes. However, if 40000 tons of potatoes are taken to make fingers, 20000 tons of fingers will be produced and it will be a good income for the Kurdistan Region. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) recently signed a contract to export 5000 tons of potatoes produced in the Kurdistan Region to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In terms of health, potatoes are considered an important crop in the world, and their importance reaches the level of grains such as wheat and rice, which are at the top of the food chain. In addition to being beneficial for bones and blood pressure, reducing the risk of cancer, and improving heart condition, potatoes are also considered to be the food of the poor and the cause of decreasing poverty. It has a prominent place among plants because it is considered a cheap source of energy and contains a very high amount of carbohydrates. That is in addition to having adequate amounts of vitamin C and vitamin B1. That is, each 156-gram potato, after cooking, provides one-third of a perfect person's daily requirement.

Kurdistan's potato crop is in great demand in the UAE and is exported to the Gulf countries and even to European countries. Kurdistan potatoes have been tested and are considered the best type in the Middle East in terms of shape, taste, and type.

Potato crops in Kurdistan can be grown in all three seasons: spring, summer, and winter, which makes the warehouses of this crop full and does not need imported crops.