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In view of the economic collapse in the Lebanon, the Abu Rakhoosa popular market returns on November 8 to Beirut Central District, downtown area, under the slogan, “Beirut… the right of the people that shall never die”. Recalling, that the bazaar was created years ago during the anti-government demonstrations protesting a class discourse that is trying to confiscate and monopolize public spaces. According to Al Akhbar daily, the above souk allows the Lebanese to purchase from a wide range of merchandise at relatively acceptable prices amid the extremely financial difficulties. Organizers, the newspaper wrote, appear to be strict in enforcing coronavirus prevention measures, more importantly wearing the protective masks. Abu Rakhoosa opens on November 8, from 10 am every day. (Al Akhbar, November 2, 2020)
 

With the start of the olive harvest season in southern villages, the vice president of the General Labor Confederation, Hassan Faqih, disclosed that this year’s supply of olive oil and olives will not be abundant. He attributed this to rain water scarcity which has been causing a slippery slope in the overall production. Faqih told the National News Agency (NNA) that this year’s harvest will be half the size of last year’s crop produce. Besides, olive farmers anticipated the price of one container of olive oil to rise to LBP 600,000 compared to LBP 200,000 last year, whereas one kg of table olives is expected to be sold at LBP 15,000 compared to LBP 7,000 last year. Citing farmers in Nabatiyeh, Hasbaya, Arnun, Kfartabnit and Zawtar, NNA said the crop production this year will be small barely covering the cost of fertilizers and cultivation. It will just about secure the household ration of mooneh. (Al Diyar, October 26, 2020)
 

This past weekend saw a number of civic, local and official initiatives in support of farmers in Beqaa. The caretaker minister of agriculture, Abbas Mortada, opened on Sunday the ‘Lebanese Vine Day’ organized by the Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST) at the Community Farm in Baalbek. Mortada said on the occasion, that such exhibitions  are part of the ministry’s strategies to achieve rural development, and to strengthen the cooperative sector. Furthermore, Mortada inaugurated on Saturday the ‘Green Project’ Office at Hermel Serail, while stating that the opening of the office  will facilitate administrative procedures for all people of Northern Beqaa. He also opened an agricultural center in the Beqaa town of Arsal, as part of the ministry’s efforts to alleviate the harsh conditions in the town. On the other hand, Jihad Al Binaa Development Association, in collaboration with the Union of Municipalities of Hermel, kicked off last Friday the second phase of Al Hakura project for family agricultural production. The event comes as part of the association’s efforts to bolster the  household economy, rebuild the food system and boost the steadfastness of local villagers. Similarly in North Lebanon, the first phase of the Maronite Mutual Fund program started in Diman and Wadi Qannoubin in support of local farmers, and which includes soil testing to determine the feasible types of crops in the area, as well as the required nutrients for existing as well as newly reclaimed lands. (Al Diyar, October 24, 25, 26, 2020)
 
 

After repeated demands to increase the prices of tobacco supplies in relation with the hike in the price of the dollar and the corresponding weakening of the purchasing power of the Lebanese lira (https://bit.ly/3jjhXpM), the head of the Union of Tobacco Growers, Hassan Fakih, disclosed a compromise has been reached with Nassif Siqlawi, the director general of Regie, to increase the prices by 50% from last year (to become LBP 18,000 instead of LBP 12,000 per kg). Noting, that the Regie will start collecting the tobacco supply from farmers in the South as of Monday, October 26. A reminder that a number of southern villages rely entirely on the tobacco cultivation, namely Adshit, Tulin, Ksseibeh, Rmeish, Beit Lif, Aita Jabal, Yohmor- Nabatiyeh and Kfartabnit, Fakih reminded, pointing to the difficulties tobacco growers encounter. These include, notably, the soaring costs of land tilling, cultivation and pesticides, the increasing price of land lease by three times compared to last year and finally, the damage caused by the ravaging wild fires which hit Lebanon and the South recently. (Al Diyar, October 21, 2020)
 

In a study released last August and entitled “Is food security in Lebanon under threat?’, ESCWA said the country relies heavily on food imports to meet the needs of its population. It warned that half of the people of Lebanon are at risk of not having access to basic food needs by the end of 2020 in the wake of the devastating Beirut Port blast. This, the report showed, is combined with the collapse of the value of the local currency (by 78%), the lockdown enforced by the coronavirus and the sharp surge in the rates of poverty and unemployment. In the details, the study pointed to the depreciating value and the inflation in the rate of the lira which reached more than 50% in 2020 compared with 2.9% in 2019. In July 2020, the average price of food products increased by 141% compared with July of 2019, the study said, anticipating a further rise due to increased costs of imports after the Port’s explosion and the lack of trust in the governance of food availability, which could induce panic buying. In conclusion, the ESCWA report warned of a cost increase of agricultural production by more than 50% for various agricultural systems, which could reduce the national agricultural output in the immediate term. (More on the study on the following link: https://bit.ly/2HmLrGm). In a related development, FAO representative in Lebanon, Maurice Saadeh, revealed to An Nahar that the high prices of food items and the sharp decline in income could undermine the overall purchasing power of the population of Lebanon. This will prompt many households to cut their purchases of food products, either through consuming less food or buying cheaper and lower quality foodstuffs in terms of nutritional value, Saadeh noted, expecting a sharp rise in malnutrition cases in the country, specifically among the poor. (Al Akhbar, An Nahar, October 14, 16, 2020)