AMMAN — The Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday destroyed 40 tonnes of potatoes imported from Palestine for making potato chips, according to a government official.

The shipment was seized on Monday night as its owner was caught attempting to illegally dispose of the produce, Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson Nimer Haddadin said.

"A local trader imported the potatoes from Tubas city in Palestine for the purposes of manufacturing chips. The potatoes became spoiled at the trader's warehouses due to bad storage conditions, so he decided to dispose of the shipment," Haddadin told The Jordan Times.

Authorities caught a truck driver as he was heading to the Ghabawi Landfill to dump the rotten potatoes, the spokesperson said, explaining that there are certain measures that traders and farmers must follow when disposing of rotten produce as well as fees to pay.

Situated some 25 kilometres east of Amman, the Ghabawi Landfill serves the capital and the central region.

The 3,000-square-metre landfill has the capacity to handle 2,500 tonnes of garbage per day.

"The shipment was seized and destroyed and the trader will be required to pay the fees," Haddadin added.

The official noted that potato production in the country is currently at its peak, and prices of the produce are stable.

The Kingdom imports potatoes from different countries, mainly from Lebanon, when production decreases, to address any rise in the price of the vegetable, which is considered a basic food commodity, according to the ministry.

Official figures put Jordan’s daily consumption of potatoes at between 300 and 350 tonnes.