Long list of agricultural demands awaiting the new cabinet

With the onset of the Aoun’s new presidency term yesterday, a number of urgent files are in the wait for the new cabinet. The agricultural sector is facing many difficulties and recently has witnessed a significant regression, due to the recession of banana, citrus fruits, olives, potato, grapes, apples, wheat and other seasonal products, that resulted from the closure of land borders, declining exports, and the growing illicit trade across the Syrian border which have prompted farmers to stage sit-ins everywhere in Lebanon to demand protection and compensation. Major demands of the agricultural sector are the following: 

Meanwhile, banana and citrus farmers blocked last Saturday the coastal highway in Qasmieh, in protest against the currently deteriorating situation, in order to deplore the government’s neglect and to demand urgent actions for exporting their produces, bananas in particular. Protesters condemned what they termed as the erroneous restrictive measures decided by, Akram Shehayeb, Minister of Agriculture which provoked the retaliation of Syria who banned the flow of Lebanese exports through its territory. Similarly, the president of the Lebanese Farmers Association, Antoine Howayek, pointed out that the crisis of the citrus fruits sector. Meanwhile, Shehayeb and the president of the Chamber of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, Mohammad Shukeir, launched last Saturday the national campaign in support of Lebanese apples. During the launch event, Shehayeb underline his ministry’s efforts to find new export markets in Russia, Egypt and Arab Gulf countries, adding that the flow of exports has started. He then outlined the work plan of the compensation committees formed by the Army to assess damages which will carry out surveys under the supervision of the agriculture ministry. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, October 28, 27, 30, 31, 2016)

 

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Banana, citrus, olive, potato and grapes all in recession after wheat, apple and 3arsal fruits