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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Potato farmers have joined arms in Marivan province, a predominantly Kurdish province of western Iran (Rojhelat), to harvest their abundant produce, which they hail as being of high quality and special to their own region.
Potato farming does not have a long history in Marivan's area - an open terrain that includes more than a dozen villages. The farmers say their land is so fertile that it does not require them to use any fertilizers when growing the vegetables.
"The quality of this potato is very good. We do not use fertilizers when growing them. The quality of the soil is quite good and natural," Mahmood Kalantari, a potato farmer, said.
Kumasi's potato produce has gained popularity for its unique taste and quality and thus, is in high demand in the province and beyond.
"My job is to sell potatoes. We have come here to buy the freshly harvested potatoes," Meelad Dewlan, a potato seller said.
Dewlan described Kumasi's potato produce as being "very beautiful" and that he buys potatoes from the fields for his shop based on requests from his customers.
"So for this year, we take potatoes from these fields here based on the demand from our customers," he said.
Since the farmers do not resort to using fertilizers, each hectare yields 20 tons of potato, while in other parts of the country, each hectare yields at least 100 tons.
In the Kumasi region, five types of potatoes are produced, with the price of one kilo varies based on the type, ranging between 12,000-15,000 tomans ($0.2-$0.3). In other words, they are two to three thousand tomans more expensive compared with other potatoes sold in the market in Iran.
A total of 20 villages are located in Kumasi. According to a 2016 census, an estimated 3,200 people live in the area, with the bulk of the people making a living out of farming.
Potato farming does not have a long history in Marivan's area - an open terrain that includes more than a dozen villages. The farmers say their land is so fertile that it does not require them to use any fertilizers when growing the vegetables.
"The quality of this potato is very good. We do not use fertilizers when growing them. The quality of the soil is quite good and natural," Mahmood Kalantari, a potato farmer, said.
Kumasi's potato produce has gained popularity for its unique taste and quality and thus, is in high demand in the province and beyond.
"My job is to sell potatoes. We have come here to buy the freshly harvested potatoes," Meelad Dewlan, a potato seller said.
Dewlan described Kumasi's potato produce as being "very beautiful" and that he buys potatoes from the fields for his shop based on requests from his customers.
"So for this year, we take potatoes from these fields here based on the demand from our customers," he said.
Since the farmers do not resort to using fertilizers, each hectare yields 20 tons of potato, while in other parts of the country, each hectare yields at least 100 tons.
In the Kumasi region, five types of potatoes are produced, with the price of one kilo varies based on the type, ranging between 12,000-15,000 tomans ($0.2-$0.3). In other words, they are two to three thousand tomans more expensive compared with other potatoes sold in the market in Iran.
A total of 20 villages are located in Kumasi. According to a 2016 census, an estimated 3,200 people live in the area, with the bulk of the people making a living out of farming.
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