11.  A deal was struck last December between the Iraqi government and the U.N. which allows the country to export some oil for essential food and medicines.

12.  Abdul Ghani told reporters this after conducting checks on essential food items at two supermarkets and the wet market in the town area.

13.  Although some essential food items like cooking oil saw a slight increase in some of the outlets, prices of meat, fish and vegetables were generally stable.

14.  Also Friday, the government announced that private firms had agreed to hold down prices of essential foods to avoid violent protests against more price rises.

15.  Antipoverty groups argue the piece is not art but a bad-taste waste of essential food, which should have been used to feed the homeless.

16.  For the agriculture sector, the incentive is limited to the production of essential foods only.

17.  Fresh taxes were levied on diesel, luxury consumer goods, motor vehicles and goods and services, excluding essential food items.

18.  Ginandjar said his first priorities were to deal with the urgent situation and ensure that sufficient essential food items were always available.

19.  Hardline Mugabe supporters have called on the government to return to socialist-style economic policies including a price freeze on essential foods.

20.  He said small companies which use sugar as the main ingredient in their products are hoarding the essential food item.