Other news

In a feature devoted to loofah cultivation in Lebanon, the Daily Star shed the light on this interesting plant that is considered a source of income for many families living in rural areas across the country. The newspaper pointed out that growing a loofah plant does not require much effort, but needs a lot of water, according to farmers, who added that loofah can be planted anywhere in fields, gardens and on house balconies. Despite its very competitive prices, ranging between LBP3 to 5 thousand, local growers of loofah growers are yet complaining from the competition of Egyptian loofah sponges.

Daily Star, November 30, 2015

 

The Ministry of Economy and Trade issued last Tuesday a summary of the achievements of the ‘Quality Programme-Third Phase for 2015’ covering the activities completed by the project. The statement indicated that full technical, operational and training support has been provided to some 30 food establishments observing the food safety management system and tracking system to enhance the quality of their products in compliance with international standards, notably, ISO 22000 and 22005 certificates. The Ministry revealed that 28 out of the 30 food companies have won the above certificates, adding that it has offered consultation and training assistance to incorporate the new quality management systems in six public departments for better productivity and services to citizens. On training, the ministry confirmed it has provided intensive and specialized training for relevant state administrations and food factories to enhance their performance, particularly in the field of food safety management, market monitoring, metrology and tracking systems, in addition to training workshops on the requirements of export to EU countries. (Al Diyar, December 2, 2015)

 

In a feature portraying the olive sector in Lebanon, Al Akhbar daily said some farmers are still hopeful of good marketing prospects that will spare them new losses and stockpiling. The newspaper pointed out that despite the local efforts by various cooperatives and agricultural unions to address the situation, yet these bodies are not to reach out to the needs of all farmers in the absence of official support and relevant laws that protect the Lebanese producer. In fact, foreign competition, particularly from neighboring Syria, accentuates the problem according to that newspaper. On this, the chief of the Directorate of Programs at the Ministry of Agriculture, Majida Meshayk, denied any dumping of the domestic market, stating that Lebanese farmers tend to overplay the issue to justify the high cost of their products. However, she acknowledges the fact that the production costs in the olive sector is among the highest in agriculture, noting that Minister Akram Shehayeb has issued a directive on 18/11/2015 requiring any party who wishes to import olive oil to seek the formal authorisation of the ministry.

In the same vain, L’Orient Le Jour newspaper said that the Lebanese olive sector is among the rare economic sectors that generate surplus in production, while criticizing the present trade agreement between Lebanon and other Arab countries which dumped the local markets with competitive products. The newspaper went on to indicate that one gallon of olive oil from Syria is being sold in the market at USD50 against a USD180 and 99 for the corresponding made-in-Lebanon product. Olive trees, it noted, cover nearly 536 thousand dunums of Lebanese territory, i.e.31% of the total cultivated area. (L’Orient Le Jour, Dec 1, Al Akhbar, November 30, 2015)

 

As part of the Development of Agricultural Exports Program, the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL), in cooperation with Bureau Veritas for testing and inspection, organized yesterday a seminar on ‘Food Safety Management Systems’ at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Tripoli and the North in the presence of a crowd of exporters and owners of food industries. The Chamber President Toufic Dabbussi stressed that “compliance with quality standards and application of specifications, as well as proper packaging methods that observe with the requirements of global markets need serious attention from production parties.” Dabbussi underscored the importance of cooperation with government and with the various ministries, in a true spirit of partnerships between the private and public sectors, and this in order to boost Lebanese exports. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, December 2, 2015)

 

 

Figures released by the Lebanese Center for Agricultural Research and Studies have shown that the overall agricultural production in Lebanon has reached USD 2.15 billion in 2014, with crops production making nearly 57.8% of the total, while animal production representing 42%. According to the same data, the overall agricultural production has increased by 7.1% during 2014 compared to 9.9% in 2013, 4.8% in 2012 and 10.4% in 2011; thus agricultural production grew by a high annual average rate of 8% between 2010 and 2014. Total crop production recorded in 2014 a growth rate of only 1.5%, increasing to USD 1.24 billion compared to a 8.8% in 2013, 5.2% in 2012 and 15.4% in 2011, or by an average of 7.6% for the period of 2010 and 2014. In parallel, total animal production rose in 2014 by 15.9% to USD increasing to USD 908.6 million in compared to a growth rate of 11.5% recorded in 2013, 4% in 2012 and 3.3% in 2011. (An Nahar, L’Orient Le Jour, November 27, 2015)

 

On the occasion of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign, the National Commission for Lebanese Women held yesterday a ceremony at its Baabda training center on ‘The role of education in combating violence’. During the ceremony, which comes as part of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment initiative funded by the European Union, the Secretary of the NCLW, Fadi Karam, stressed the need to eradicate all forms of gender violence as the only way to “realize complete and sustainable community development,” pointing to the essential role of education to this effect. Similarly, Kafa organization, in a statement released yesterday announced that for the 2015 campaign its message is the following “An archaic law is not a serious law”, in allusion to the current patriarchal laws regulating personal status which are obsolete and need to be reformed”. The statement went on to say that the “contribution of women to public life cannot be enhanced as long as women continue to be dominated domestically, or to be sanctioned socially and by law. ((Al Mustaqbal, November 25, 2015)

 

The Women’s Sector of the Future Movement in Baalbek, in cooperation with the Lebanese Democratic Women’s Gathering (LDWG), organized last Saturday a seminar entitled ‘My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family’ in the presence of representatives from women’s associations and the community. The coordinator of the Women’s Sector in Lebanon, Nawal Mdalali, stressed the role of the women sector in raising awareness on the marginalization of women, with focus on women who suffer from the blatant violation of their rights caused by the prevailing nationality law. Similarly, LDWG activist, Rola Zeaiter, explained how this same discriminatory law infringes on the right of Lebanese women married to foreigners by refusing to give nationality to their husbands and children. Zeaiter also touched on the effects of the above in violating the rights of women to the various social, cultural, health and civil services, besides being subjected to violence, or to the high cost they pay for getting the required residence papers. She finally called on the Lebanese Government to implement its obligations in lifting reservations to the articles, namely Article 9, of the Convention related to nationality. (Al Mustaqbal, November 22, 2015)

 

The Lebanese Electoral Assistance Project (LEAP) sponsored by the UNDP and the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) held last Saturday a meeting on elections and the participation of women in political life. The event was organized in collaboration with the Federation of the Municipalities of Jezzine District in the presence of its President, Khalil Harmoush, the NCLW Project Coordinator, Chantale Abu Akl, and the area’s mayors and municipal figures. The meeting discussed the significance of free and fair elections in democratic systems that usually engage women and youth in political life and the various electoral systems, as well as a brief history of the electoral process in Lebanon. (An Nahar, November 16, 2015)

 

 

In its issue of last Saturday, Al Mustaqbal daily reported the success story of a 17-year old Lebanese from the Chouf village of Kfar Fakoud who completed her first academic year in space engineering at the highly competitive university of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. Maya Nasr said she hopes to achieve her dream of specializing in the manufacture of spacecrafts and rockets after being chosen by MIT to receive a scholarship for her superior results, particularly in mathematics to study aerospace engineering.

Maya told Al Mustaqbal that it is one of the rare opportunities that the department accepts students from the Arab region, unless they hold the US citizenship. Nasr boasted that NASA was her dream, pointing that Lebanese women, and women in general, are capable of achieving the highest levels in various advanced and sophisticated areas of science. )Al Mustaqbal, November 14, 2015(