Following the end of war, Iraq is now witnessing a different kind of invasion - hundreds of thousands of Ecuadorian bananas.
According to The Times overproduction and stagnant markets in Europe and America, banana producers have flooded Iraq with what was once the preserve of the rich and powerful.
Dozens of boxes are now said to be available on every street corner and are being hawked for just a few dinars each by street urchins.
Bananas were first spotted in the country around the end of Ramadan. They attracted a premium price at first but dozens of producers were soon competing to enter the market from Kuwait, Jordan and Syria.
Richard Bright, an international banana trade analyst, said that global production of bananas had increased from 200 million boxes to 230 million boxes over the past few years. Bright said that producers were desperate for new markets and had flooded Iraq with excess stock.
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