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The National Gathering of Agricultural Committees in Lebanon yesterday held a meeting for various agricultural syndicates, unions and cooperatives in Nabatiyeh and the South at the Chamber of Commerce in Saida to demand cooperation with Syria to open the borders for Lebanese goods. The president of the Chamber in Saida and the South, Mohamad Saleh, warned during the meeting that the marketing of Lebanese agricultural produce is at stake. This, he explained, has been the case since the outbreak of the war in neighboring Syria which resulted in frequent closure of land crossings, the increase in transit fees and in the cost of transportation, aided with the irresponsible attitude on part of the authorities in Lebanon to resolve the issue. He pointed out that Lebanese farmers largely rely on exporting their agricultural goods through a single land crossing via Syria. Over the past years, he maintained, they have established good ties in this regard to secure the entry of their commodities to the GCC markets, as well as to Jordan, Iraq and Syria. Saleh finally called for sustaining these ties in order to rescue Lebanon’s relations with the Arab states and to galvanize the national productive sectors, mainly agriculture. (Al Diyar, July 29, 2020)
 

The head of the Syndicate of Importers and Traders of Livestock in Lebanon, Joseph Kossaifi, underlined the need to support the sector, including frozen meats, recalling that it sustains the livelihoods of families of more than 50,000 workers in the sector and in the complementary transport, fodder, fertilizers and tanning industries. Kossaifi warned during a press conference on July 23, that the sector, which is one of the main sources of hard currency in the country, is faltering and should be urgently propped. While lamenting that almost half of the local slaughterhouses have closed, Kossaifi reminded that the sector is highly productive for domestic agriculture, industry, transport and health. Hence, supporting it should be a national priority, he concluded. Meanwhile, according to Al Akhbar, Qatar has announced the import of livestock worth USD 49 million from several countries, notably Syrian sheep via Lebanon during the Adha Eid occasion. The newspaper wrote wondering if exporting sheep threatens local food security, particularly that live cattle, milking cows, sheep and goats are part of the subsidized food basket. On the subject, Al Akhbar spoke to the minister of agriculture, Abbas Mortada, who stressed that exporting livestock does not jeopardize food security, but instead brings in hard currency, underlining the importance of cooperation with the GCC state. Similarly, the head of the Consumers Protection Department, Zuheir Berro, explained that exporting sheep to Qatar does not considerably disturb the size of domestic consumption, noting that the majority of the Lebanese cannot afford to buy lamb or mutton meat these days. (Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, July 23, 24, 2020)
 
 

In the presence of the minister of agriculture, Abbas Mortada, the public Green Plan institution, yesterday delivered a number of cheques to farmers who earlier applied for agricultural land reclamation. On the occasion, Mortada underlined the importance of a food security emergency plan and a parallel strategic policy for land reclamation, forestation and provision of water. He said his ministry is adamant about implementing these schemes, revealing the distribution of bank checks worth of LBP 3.581 billion to some 622 farmers. He thanked FAO for providing aid to extend cultivation, build retaining walls and water reservoirs. Mortada also announced the completion of the construction of 16 water ponds funded by IFAD and five other ponds by ARDB, to be managed by local municipalities, as well as the launch of bids to construct additional water ponds financially supported by IFAD. (Al Diyar, July 24, 2020)
 

Labora association concluded yesterday the training course which started earlier in June with the participation of 150 young men and women at its offices in Zghorta, Zahleh and Antelias. This comes as part of workshops organized by Labora in coordination with the USAID-funded Lebanon Enterprise Development (LED) project. Speakers on the occasion urged participants to seek to achieve their goals and aspirations, encouraging them to stay in Lebanon. Labora discussed with beneficiaries the needs of the labor market, underlining the importance of developing basic skills, like communication, languages, IT and others. Speakers also emphasized the role of self-development in stimulating compatibility and integration with market requirements. The workshops, to recall, cover the following subjects: English language, IT, communication skills and technical training and they accommodate over 400 young men and women from various regions of Lebanon. (Al Diyar, July 22, 2020)
 

Recently, there has been a surge in local farmers’ markets in various regions, notably in the Shuf towns of Freidis and Baruk, Ghalbun in Jbeil as well as in Tyre, in an attempt to support local livelihoods. In this respect, the minister of agriculture, Abbas Mortada, inaugurated on Saturday the Jabal Amel market to promote and sell local agricultural produce directly to the consumer at reasonable prices. During the opening of the market projected to be held every Saturday, Mortada criticized the slackness on the part of former governments toward the sector, calling for cooperation to improve and protect food security. Concurrently, the municipality of Kfar 3kab launched ‘Village Market’ (Souk el Dai’aa) to prop farmers, artisans and industrialists. Residents of the Upper Matn town and environs displayed food, seasonal veggies and fruits, traditional mouneh items, in addition to handicrafts at competitive prices. The bazaar takes place at 6 am every Saturday at the Kfar 3kab square. (An Nahar, Al Diyar, July 19, 2020)