The Syndicate of Fruit and Vegetable Dealers and Exporters criticized, on Sunday, the decision of the Ministry of Agriculture to open the door to importing potatoes, after a 4-year hiatus, coinciding with the start of local production.

Saadi Abu Hammad, head of the Vegetable and Fruit Merchants and Exporters Syndicate, told Roya that potato prices are witnessing an unprecedented rise in the local markets, since the end of last September, despite the opening of the import door.

A kilo is sold to the consumer for between 90 piasters and a dinar, due to the lack of production, according to Abu Hammad.

Abu Hammad explained that the abundance of local potato production is stored for a period that extends from June to October, and during this period the quality of the product declines and the volume of supply declines, and therefore the prices rise. Then production begins again in November, and prices automatically decrease, so that the price per kilo ranges between 25 to 25 pounds. 30 piasters.