Prices of wheat, barley “unfair” – official

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Prices set by the government in 2009 to purchase wheat and barley are unfair, said the head of the Diwaniya provincial council’s agriculture and water resources committee on Thursday, explaining that this issue discourages farmers and damages the Iraqi economy. “This is a conspiracy against the Iraqi economy,” Baqr al-Shaalan told IraqiNews.com news agency. “Where is the government subsidy for citizens, especially farmers and workers?” he wondered. Al-Shaalan pointed out that the proposal to reduce the prices was made by “some ministries where indications of corruption were found”. “Their aim is to destroy the Iraqi economy,” he asserted. The city of Diwaniya lies 180 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. MH (P)/AmR 1