Other news

Dar Onboz launched a new initiative, “Fikri Baladi” inviting Lebanese producers and artisans from various regions to display their products every Wednesday at its Beirut-based house. The market opened last week showcasing soap produced by Artisan Nelly Chemali which attracted a flock of visitors, according to Al Akhbar. For more on the subject, the newspaper spoke to the owner of Dar Onboz publishing, Nadine Touma, who stressed that the initiative contributes to opening the Beirut market to rural producers. But this market, Touma stressed, should be reinforced with similar ventures in order to face the current economic crunch. Touma underlined the need, now more than anytime, to kick off or activate local bazaars to support artisans and craft workers with all means, pointing to market giants that menace small crafts persons restricting them to remote regions. Touma concluded by saying, Dar Onboz seeks to call more tradespersons in order to exhibit a diversity of artisanal handicrafts, including pottery, crop seeds and traditional mouneh items. Today, Amal and Rudaina from Rashaya will put on show their lip-smacking rural foods and home-made cheeses and labneh, she boasted. (Al Akhbar, July 15, 2020)
 

In its issue of July 11, Al Akhbar wrote that with the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and the escalating financial and economic crisis, many Lebanese returned to their villages in the South encouraged by local municipal initiatives that distributed seedlings for the reclamation of neglected land. On the subject, the newspaper spoke to farmer Hussein Awada, in his sixties, who lamented unorganized farming in his town of Khiyam which largely depends on the personal experience of farmers. It is mainly done in the absence of agricultural extension and government support, specifically in terms of provision of irrigation of lands far from Dardara spring, in addition to the mushrooming illegal constructions and the spread of pollution resulting from the disruption of the wastewater treatment plant near Marjeyoun. Likewise, farmer Hassan Ayoub from Houla, regretted that he cannot water part of the crops he grew due to the continuous interruption of water. He said nearly 70% of the town’s residents returned to agriculture, and enthusiasm increased especially after Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s call to this end. The first problem to be addressed, Ayoub added, is the ill-managed distribution of water on the towns in the area. For his part, the mayor of Aitroun, Salim Murad, explained that the remarkable demand for cultivation was unplanned and disorganized. Many crops were hit by drought and diseases because of the inexperience of farmers in choosing the seedlings and grains, in addition to water scarcity. (For more info, kindly visit the link below: https://bit.ly/3fBlRcV). (Al Akhbar, July 11, 2020)
 

Minister of agriculture Abbas Mortada disclosed yesterday the launch of a mechanism this coming Monday for the import of subsidized agro-food products, as part of the basket of government subsidies set at the exchange rate of LBP 3900 against the dollar. Mortada, who was speaking during the signing of two agreements with FAO, said the aim is to support thousands of small farmers technically and in kind. In addition, the initiative will support land reclamation and the construction of water reservoirs and irrigation networks to expand the arable lands and develop an agricultural register for farmers and a database that helps regulate the sector and prop farmers. Noting that the above move by the ministry is the result of coordination with the ministries of economy and industry to the end of reducing prices and boosting productive sectors. (Al Diyar, July 10, 2020)
 

In its issue of Saturday, Al Akhbar newspaper wrote, that with the start of the collapse of the exchange rate of the Lebanese lira against the US dollar, several community and official circles encouraged the return to agriculture as the main gateway to food security. Calls have focused on propping wheat cultivation which the country imports nearly 85% of. For South Lebanon residents who responded to back-to-the-roots calls, they were not lured into growing wheat for a number of reasons. Notably, the scarcity of agricultural lands unlike the Bekaa area, in addition to the insignificant benchmarked price of the wheat crop which is sold to the State at less than LBP 500 per kg. Another reason is the quality of the southern-grown wheat which is mainly the hard and durum type suitable for home made mouneh dishes, like Samid, Burgul and Friek as compared to the soft Italian wheat best for flour. On the subject, Mohamad Srour, from Aita al Shaab, who rented a piece of land to grow wheat, explained that the agricultural and consumer related conditions have changed extensively. The one truth remaining, he lamented, is that we should never sell our produce to government-run institutions. This is totally useless, he said, recalling the tobacco farmers’ anguish and suffering as a result of the extortionist attitude on part of banks who refused to release the Regie subsidies deposited in banks at the end of last year. Therefore, Mohamad went on, many people grew wheat to meet their daily needs following the surge in prices of essential goods rather than for profit. Likewise, farmer Mohamad Souli from Marjeyoun, said some people regretted having planted wheat after discovering that small-scaled cultivation is non-profitable. On the other hand, the head of Lebanese Farmers’ Association, Antoine Howayek, explained that farmer veterans had a good harvest season, but they still need two or more seasons to start reaping net profits. The mayor of the southern town of Aitroun, Salim Morad, for his part, noted that the size of wheat cultivation this year is relatively average compared to the size of home gardens which increased by nearly 50%. For more, kindly visit the link below: https://bit.ly/31LTTXw). (Al Akhbar, July 4, 2020)