Lebanese bananas banned from Syria shedding new lights on marketing difficulties

The chief of the Beqaa Farmers Gathering, Ibrahim Tarshishi, denounced the decision of Syrian authorities to ban the entry of some 35 banana trucks describing the decision as a violation of the trade agreement by the neighboring state to import nearly 35 thousand tons of the Lebanese bananas. Tarshishi said he was surprised by the Syrian action at a time, “when Syrian goods, including vegetables and fruits flow into our markets contributing to the fall of prices of corresponding local goods”, as he claimed. He appealed to parties in both countries to intervene to resolve the problem, warning to escalate action and block roads in protest. For his part, Antoine Howayek, president of the Lebanese Farmers Association, outlined two reasons for the current slump in the marketing of citrus and banana, namely the closure of borders in Syria which resulted in the increase of cost of shipping. The second reason according to Howayek was the decision to prevent the setting up of independent agriculture chambers that will work to set up factories for processing the extra quantities of agricultural products. 

In respect to the current divergences over state’s support for the existing maritime exports, (see full news, http://bit.ly/1QHMDR6), IDAL head, Nabil Itani, dismissed criticisms  to the current export scheme saying that some interests within the trade sector are aiming to modify the existing arrangements. Itani went on to say that theses interests are spreading false information concerning the country origin of products exported by ferries, in order to shift back the maritime service to container ships that are owned by major trade-farmers. (Al Akhbar, December 19 and 22, 2015)