The Kurdistan Region has embarked on a new agricultural export venture, with its first shipment of locally cultivated potatoes dispatched to Liberia. Haji Hussein Osman, the entrepreneur behind Reef Kirkuk for Agricultural Products, disclosed that the inaugural shipment was sent on December 24, initiating a fresh trade pact. Osman, in a conversation with Kurdistan24, mentioned that the arrangement entails the monthly exportation of 100 tons of potatoes to Liberia. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has been instrumental in this process, offering extensive support in health and export protocols.
Osman detailed the logistics, stating, "The potatoes were transported to Mersin, Turkey, before being shipped from the port to Liberia. After 34 days, the shipment successfully arrived." To further the reach of the Kurdistan Region's agricultural produce, Osman intends to visit several African countries in mid-January 2025, aiming to market onion products from the region. Despite initial legal hurdles delaying the shipment, Osman underscored the positive reception of the Kurdistan Region's potatoes in Liberia, quoting, "We sent 100 nets of potatoes to Liberia's Prime Minister, and he praised the quality and taste."
The shipment marks a potential shift in Liberia's reliance on Lebanese potato imports, positioning the Kurdistan Region as a formidable competitor. This development is part of the KRG's ninth cabinet's strategy, under Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, to diversify financial resources by bolstering the agricultural sector and venturing into foreign markets. In 2023, the region exported over 13,000 tons of potatoes to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with an additional 600 tons sent to Hasakah and Qamishli, Syria, in August 2024, through the Semalka border crossing. This expansion in agricultural exports underlines the KRG's dedication to enhancing the region's economic stability and establishing the Kurdistan Region as a significant entity in the global agricultural marketplace.
Source: Kurdistan24