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Government interventions in agriculture chaotic and inconsistent 

18-10-2018

In the absence of a serious and workable government policy to address the waning agricultural sector, the joint parliamentary committee which met last Thursday headed by deputy house speaker, Elie Ferzli, formed a subcommittee for the legalization of cannabis. The said committee is led by MP Yassin Jaber, and the membership of MPs Nicolas Nahas, Assem Araji, Hussein Haj Hassan, Shamil Rukuz, Toni Habshi, Hadi Abul Hissen, Mario Aoun, and any other MP willing to contribute accordingly. The subcommittee was given a one month ultimatum to submit its report to the joint committees. On the other hand, the president of the Regie announced during a dinner held on Tuesday in honor of the media, that the state-run institution provides the national treasury with 7.5% of its annual revenues, pointing out that tobacco cultivation currently sustains 25000 households in the different Lebanese regions. The Regie activities, he said, have covered to date fifteen regions in Akkar, Bekaa and the South, and included environmental, economic, social and educational undertakings. Meanwhile, the minister of trade and economy in the caretaker government, Raed Khoury, issued a circular on Tuesday setting the start date for receiving the wheat and barley supplies from local producers and farmers for the current season of 2018, from 22/10/2018 to 15/12/2018 at the latest for all the governorates. (For more info, kindly visit the link below: https://goo.gl/iPJY7m). (Al Mustaqbal, October 11, 12, 17, 2018)

Related news:
Minister warns of the collapse of agriculture in Lebanon
Renewed efforts to rescue Bsharri apple harvest
USD 400 million in proceeds after the legalisation of cannabis 
Cannabis legalization: Concerns in Beqaa over licensing and profit distribution
 

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Syrian-Jordanian border opens to Lebanese exports

16-10-2018

After the announcement of the reopening of the Nassib-Jaber crossing between Jordan and Syria (https://goo.gl/6QUyH5), Lebanon has been officially notified yesterday through General Security Director General, Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, of the opening of the crossing and Syrian territory for Lebanese exports. In the details, the head of the Beqaa Farmers’ Association, Ibrahim Tarshishi, cited Gen. Ibrahim’s confirmation of the launch of export activity from Lebanon to Arab countries via the above crossings. He said that, following his talks with the Syrian side, Gen. Ibrahim said the situation has been restored to the period before the border crisis in 2015. Tarshishi said the reopening of Nassib is a dream come true, pointing to the USD 2.6 billion in losses incurred over the past three years and which did not affect one sector only, but the whole nation. Meanwhile, while the minister of agriculture in the caretaker government, Ghazi Zeiater, maintained that the decision to resume the smooth and automatic movement of Lebanese trucks via Syria as a result of the Jordanian-Syrian agreement, the head of the Lebanese Truck Drivers Association, Shafiq Qassis, said the trucks have not started moving pending the implementation of the newly applied measures, notably the transit tax increase on the Syrian part. For his part, President Michel Aoun said the agreement would benefit Lebanon and restore links with the Arab community, stressing that the reopening of the vital crossing will revive the various productive sectors and reduce the cost of export to Arab countries. (Al Akhbar, An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, October 16, 2018)

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Nassib crossing reopens today, Lebanese banana to Syria again
Lebanese-Jordanian talks on opening Nassib Crossing
Nassib crossing between Syria and Jordan is set to work
Syria raises transit fees, impasse of banana exports to ease
 

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Nassib crossing reopens today, Lebanese banana to Syria again

15-10-2018

The Syrian interior minister Mohamad Ibrahim Shaar announced yesterday that Syria and Jordan have agreed to open Nassib border crossing as of today, Monday October 15, after being closed for three years. Shaar, told SANA that the joint Syrian-Jordanian technical committee has convened at the Jordan Jaber border crossing checkpoint and agreed on all arrangements and logistics to this effect. In a related context, Al Diyar newspaper reported today that Lebanese trucks carrying made-in-Lebanon goods via Nassib through Syria into Jordan and the GCC countries will be denied entry because the Lebanese government and prime minister Hariri still refuse to sign an agreement with the Syrian government that regulates transit movement. On the issue of banana export to Syria, and after promises by the agriculture minister, Ghazi Zeiater’s to resolve the impasse, An Nahar daily said on Saturday that the Syrian authorities have agreed to re-import the Lebanese bananas into their markets starting October 15 based on a new import mechanism that enforces an extra import tax (between 60 and 65 Syrian Liras for each kilogram of banana, that is USD 130 for each ton). This is part of the so-called added tax for supporting the reconstruction and families of martyrs in Syria.  (An Nahar, Al Diyar, October 13, 15, 2018)
 
Related news:
Lebanese-Jordanian talks on opening Nassib Crossing
Syria raises transit fees, impasse of banana exports to ease
 

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Nine Lebanese startups among top in Middle East

15-10-2018

Forbes Middle East revealed its annual list of top 100 startups in the Arab world for 2018.  This list includes emerging companies of nor more than 6 years with the most innovative solutions and ideas and according to the funding they received. On Lebanon’s front, 9 startups were listed, and they are as follows: Scripter (12th place, with USD 8.5 million since its inception); Myki (27th, USD 5.2 million); Falafel Games (29th, USD 4.8 million); Kamkalima (61th, USD 2.0 million); Brate (68th, USD 1.6 million); Risk+Solutions (75th, USD 1.5 million); Loop (80th, USD 1.3 million); Shelvz (96th, USD 0.8 million) and Eddress (99th, USD 0.7 million). (For the whole list, kindly visit the following link, https://goo.gl/V4PvjL). (Al Diyar, October 14, 2018)
 

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Lebanese-Jordanian talks on opening Nassib Crossing

12-10-2018

As part of a tour to Arab countries delegated by President Michel Aoun, foreign minister Jibran Bassil met yesterday with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi and discussed with him bilateral relations, regional affairs and trade exchange. In a press conference following the meeting, Bassil hoped the Nassib Crossing will open soon to restore trade movement between the two countries through neighboring Syria. Safadi for his part, stressed that the reopening of the main border crossing, closed for three years now, will follow agreement on all necessary logistic arrangements. “We repeatedly said we want open borders between the two countries, and we indicated that technical negotiations were underway, and that the borders will be restored when the technical committees complete their work in order to ensure the interests of both sides,” Safadi explained. This statement comes after the Syrian ministry of transportation announced on September 29 that the Nassib Crossing will reopen on October 10 after the completion of logistic preparations on the Syrian side. (:http://www.lkdg.org/node/17841). (Al Hayat, An Nahar, October 10, 2018)

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Two initiatives to support entrepreneurship, SMEs

11-10-2018

As part of its efforts to promote entrepreneurship among young Lebanese, Touch Innovation Program (TIP) celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of promising startuppers and innovators in the presence of representatives of startups, entrepreneurs and digital influencers. The TIP program was launched earlier this year as a platform to support and empower entrepreneurs in Lebanon, noting that, every six months it selects between 4 to 6 innovative and promising ideas allowing its owners to use the Touch Lab in downtown Beirut as a space for work and meetings as well as to launch products and services and host workshops. On the other hand, the Lebanese Micro Finance Association (LMFA) is implementing the interactive training workshop which started last Saturday at the ministry of social affairs (MoSA)offices under the title, ‘The financial culture of families in Lebanon 2018’ . The project is in the framework of MoSA national campaign, ‘khali albak a ailtak’ covering over 5,000 beneficiaries from low-income families, young people, housewives, small entrepreneurs and persons with special needs. The project aims to educate people to learn to make a family budget, said project director Ola Hariri. This will help each member control and balance his/her expenses and income, hence preventing any emergency and protect them from any unwanted changes that could impede reaching their future goals, Hariri explained. It also helps them develop their capacities, acquire new skills involving income generating undertakings, she added. (AL Mustaqbal, October 11, 2018)

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Beekeeping challenged by misuse of pesticides and retreating forests

10-10-2018

The 11th international conference of Arab Beekeepers Union and the 10th Conference of the Beekeeping Federation of Mediterranean Countries opened on October 5 in the Shouf town of Jieh under the title, ‘Let’s Bee United’. The conference, sponsored by President Michel Aoun, was organized in cooperation with the Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development (LIVCD) funded by USAID, the main donor for the local bee sector. General Shamil Rukuz representing President Aoun, stressed that despite its importance, the bee sector faces several challenges worldwide and in Lebanon for many reasons. These include notably, the misuse of agricultural and herbal pesticides; degradation of pasture land due to cutting of trees, wild fires and the construction boom; the cutting of citrus trees after failing to export citrus products, and the lack of adequate support to beekeepers and associations involved in the bee industry. For his part, the Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy Edward White, said that the US Government supports Lebanon’s national economy through emerging sectors, like the honey industry, stressing that such investments help raise the income of the rural population. A USAID statement mentioned that in the past few years, the agency helped more than 1500 beekeepers to buy 6300 beehives and increase their production, noting that the value of honey sales in the country increased from USD 4.5 to 6.3 million over the last five years. On the sidelines of the conference, General Rukuz launched the National Honey Day which will last for three days and will receive some 500 beekeepers from Lebanon, Europe, the Mediterranean and the Arab countries, to come and learn about the latest technologies in beekeeping and honey making. (Al Diyar, October 5)

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Local events targeting regional development and agriculture

9-10-2018

In the latest local development activities in the regions, the municipality of Ainata-Al Arz, in collaboration with the Union of Municipalities of Deir Al Ahmar, and under the patronage of the minister of agriculture, Ghazi Zeiater, launched on Sunday the first annual apple festival. Zeiater, on the occasion, disclosed that the total apple cultivated area in Lebanon is nearly 12425 hectares producing some 263750 tons, including 2758 hectares in Baalbek-Hermel area with an output of 63500 tons. The minister said these figures are significant because they reflect the number of households living from this agriculture. Concurrently, the Chakka Municipality Environment Committee, in cooperation with UNDP, organized the ‘Environment Festival’ in partnership with the ministry of social affairs. The activity, which is part of the Support for Host Communities project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), included a cycle ride of 130 bicycles from al Marj Coast to promote pollution reduction. Similarly, Byblos kicked off last Saturday a two-day German Oktoberfest beer festival which was organised in the Roman street. (An Nahar, Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, October 7, 8, 2018)

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Minister warns of the collapse of agriculture in Lebanon

9-10-2018

In view of the official slackness vis-a-vis agriculture in Lebanon, the minister of agriculture in the caretaker government, Ghazi Zeiater, warned yesterday that the sector in general is on the verge of collapse. Conditions will get worse should this indifferent attitude continue, Zeiater told Al Diyar electronic portal, calling for the development of comprehensive agricultural plans to prop the sector. “I am responsible for what I say,” he concluded. In the same vein and on the same day, the general director of the agriculture ministry, Louis Lahood, said during his visit to the Chamber of Commerce for Saida and the South, that agriculture constitutes the safety valve for national economy. He stressed the continuous support of his ministry to agriculture and the fishing sector, outlining steps taken to this effect, and reiterating keenness to open international markets for domestic olive and olive oil. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, October 9, 2018)

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Role of SMEs in boosting economic growth

3-10-2018

The Ministry of  Economy and Trade in collaboration with the Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Peace organized yesterday a workshop, ‘Promoting the environment of SMEs in Lebanon’. On the occasion, the minister of trade and economy, Raed Khoury, said the issue of small and medium enterprises is an intricate one that his ministry cannot manage single handely. The entrepreneurship and SME sector, he explained, are among the potential key pillars that stimulate national economy. Roughly 90% of currently active institutions in Lebanon fall under the category of SMEs, Khoury explained, pointing to the country’s long established reputation in the field of entrepreneurship. On the other hand, Khoury warned that Lebanon still faces many setbacks which delay its ability to make maximum use of the benefits offered by SMEs, hoping that drafting a proposal to this end could contribute to galvanizing their role to positively impact the overall economic status quo. The workshop, to note, included three sessions. While the first tackled the reality and size of SMEs in relation to the national economy, opportunities and challenges, legal hindrances, economic challenges and e-commerce, the second focused on the role of SMEs in stimulating economic growth, as well as, the role of the chambers of commerce, industry and agriculture, banks, business incubators, international organizations and finance institutions. The third session discussed drafting a new bill that defines the nature of SMEs in addition to a package of incentives to develop their work. (Al Mustaqbal, October 3, 2018)


Previews related news:
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