For Immediate Release
June 4, 2004

Date Production Restoration Under Way in Iraq
Iraq Fact of the Day

Date palms from Iraq were once the envy of the Middle East, but production and quality waned under Saddam Hussein's mismanagement. Now, a helicopter from the former dictator's military has been converted to a crop duster by the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture, and the helicopter has already sprayed almost 30,000 acres of date palms. This is a key part of a long-term plan to revitalize Iraq's date production.

Source: Coalition Provisional Authority

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