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Revival of the carob tree in Cyprus, what about Lebanon?

7-12-2017

After long years of neglect, the carob tree cultivation is being revived for its multiple health benefits. In its efforts to restore the abandoned tree in antiquity and as part of an all-out program to plant some 40,000 trees, Cyprus launched last week a huge campaign where it planted nearly 6 thousand carob trees. The project, carried out by the University of Cyprus in collaboration with Cyprus Agricultural Research Institute, aims to breathe new life into the traditional role of the Mediterranean island in producing carob. To recall, before World War 1, Cyprus was the third carob producer in Europe after Italy and Spain, with an output of 50,000 tons a year. The project seeks to bring back the culture of carob agriculture, particularly to enhance the local production of innovative carob foods and beverages aimed to create an alternative economic model. The president of Cyprus University heading the project, disclosed that tests are being conducted to develop new carob-based drinks and drugs given the carob’s beneficial properties, especially for digestion. She mentioned several attributes of the crop, notably that it is an organic substitute for cocoa and a key source for gluten-free wheat. (L’Orient Le Jour, November 27, 2017)

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Bottlenecks of Lebanese olive industry

6-12-2017

With the closing of the olive season, and despite a bumper year, farmers are concerned with the disposal of the harvest, external competition and inability of presses to take in the needs of the villages. In this respect, olive growers in the districts of Tyre and Bint Jbeil said they had to wait days at the local press where olive bags are mounted up, which forced them to seek presses outside their towns, namely in Hasbaya and Rashaya. Olive growers in West Bekaa decried the high cost and competition involving the care for the crop then picking the harvest to extract the oil. This requires them to sell one oil dispenser at LBP 150,000 – 170,000, which is not easy on the pocket of the Lebanese consumer or dealer for several reasons, most importantly the excess of cheap Syrian-made oil (sold between LBP 50,000 to 70,000) dumping the domestic markets. In Hasbaya, Al Ittihad newspaper wrote, where the harvest is abundant this year, olive growers agree that were it not for the Syrian workforce, a large amount of olives could still be hanging on the trees. Syrian refugees represent between 75% to 85% of olive picking workers. On the other hand, Al Diyar referred to a comeback of olive cultivation in the Bekaa area, particularly in Hermel and Northern Bekaa, where it is flourishing because of the favorable climate conditions, unlike Baalbek, where it has been obstructed by the successive frost storms that hit the region. On the subject, the minister of industry, Hussein Haj Hassan, praised the distinctive quality of Hermel olive oil, pointing to studies that have shown its special taste and its physical and chemical attributes as branded by Claudio, the Italian extra virgin olive oil expert. According to Claudio, one olive oil gallon can be easily sold at USD 400 provided it adopts a brand, a unique method of marketing and glass packaging along with the Italian certificate to verify the quality of the product. This, Haj Hassan said requires the cooperation of some 100 farmers under the umbrella of a cooperative, which was never contemplated. (Al Diyar, Al Ittihad, Al Mustaqbal, November 30, December 4 and 6, 2017)

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Continuing interest in journalism despite unemployment in the sector

5-12-2017

In a special feature today, Al Ittihad newspaper focused on the challenges and hitches facing the schools of journalism and media studies in Lebanon amidst a profound crisis in the press industry, particularly in the past two years which saw the closing of several institutions and the downsizing of media staff. In this respect, the director of the Lebanese University School of Information, First Brach, Dr Rami Najm, told Al Ittihad that while the media sector in the country, namely the press industry, is going through a terminal crisis, students are still passionate about majoring in journalism, pointing to a steady pace of registration and attendance at the school. Like all journalism graduates, students toil to find jobs, Najm explained, noting that despite the declining market, the college does not intend to reduce its regular number of students, but will identify the courses and disciplines as needed by the labor market. A large number of students dream of becoming big shots after graduation which explains their desire for power, fame and recognition, Najm stated. However, the school is directing them to make flexible choices, which are not exclusive to the anchor/presenter specialties, like for example photojournalism and electronic media. (Al Ittihad, December 5, 2017)

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Emerging snail farms in Lebanon

4-12-2017

Al Akhbar newspaper today highlighted the snail farms in the country which, supported by Italian funds, have flourished to become one of the key alternative agricultures, particularly in the Beqaa area. Since three years, snail farmers (basically 10 breeders) have produced 300 tons of snails every year, mostly of the garden Helix aspersa Italian species, the newspaper wrote, revealing that the Italian role in the development of this unique sector has enforced a kind of monopoly in the export of production. In this respect, the International Snail Farming Institute and the Italian Euro Helix are the sole importers or buyers of the snails while the breeders are committed to import the mothers of snails together with the required nutrients and equipment from the above Italian parties. According to Elie Ward who runs a snail farm in Karak, the climate of Beqaa is more convenient than that of Europe, where the snowfall period is longer and the humidity levels lower. According to Al Akhbar, the startup cost of a snail farm can reach USD 10,000 per dunum, keeping in mind that the average surface area of a heliculture farm is about five dunums. However, what makes up for the breeders, Al Akhbar said, is that they don’t have to worry about marketing outlets under the Italian obligation to import production and the high prices of the products (nearly $ 5 per 1 kg, whereas 12s pieces in restaurants are charged between $ 20 – 30) based on their organic quality and the hygiene breeding conditions. (Al Akhbar, December 4, 2017)

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Healthy bread and Frikeh competes with traditional Arabic bread

4-12-2017

In a special feature on the consumption of the traditional Lebanese Arabic bread, L’Orient Le Jour said that notwithstanding its control of the local market, the Lebanese taste has changed since 2012 driven by a general trend of healthy foodies. To recall, the Lebanese people spend around USD 23.5 million on bread each month, which is quite high, according to the September issue of BLOM Invest. The latter has shown that small bakeries in the neighborhoods which provide healthy and fresh breads now represent nearly half the market, noting the relatively costly prices (500 g of healthy bread is sold between USD 5-6 compared to a USD 1 for a regular bread pack weighing 900 g. On the subject, the owners of healthy bread bakeries complained that the giant bread producers have started to compete with them in their own healthy whole wheat brands, stressing that the quality of flour and additives used in traditional bakeries is not the least healthy. On the other hand, L’Orient Le Jour drew attention to the ‘Frikeh’ product made from green wheat grain, and contains less energy than wheat, that is starting to dominate the list of healthy goodies, pointing to the USAID-funded Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development (LIVCD) Project aimed at enhancing the production of a number of products, including Frikeh. In this respect, the newspaper wrote that two years from the onset of the project, there are currently some 10 coops producing the Frikeh, posting an increase in annual production from 757 kg in 2015 to 20 tons this year. The sales of the product which did not exceed USD 4,000 in 2015 has presently reached USD 80,200. Charbel Hanna, the LIVCD coordinator, described the sector as promising, and employs 171 persons, 72 of which are women. (L’Orient Le Jour, November 27, 29, 2017)

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Three initiatives to support creativity and SMEs

1-12-2017

As part of its support to small and medium enterprises in Lebanon, Fransabank Group announced on Wednesday the signing of a USD 20 million loan agreement with the SANAD Fund for MSME to expand the lending to SMEs with competitive pricing and provide loans to low-income individuals. On the other hand, Touch, the leading mobile telecommunications and data operator in Lebanon, managed by Zain Group, disclosed on Wednesday its partnership with the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (MSFEA) at AUB to launch the Touch-MSFEA Startup Award. The aim of the award is to encourage a culture of entrepreneurship among university students, in particular the 4th year engineers approaching graduation and who have innovative projects and ideas ready in mind. Commenting on the partnership, Touch CEO, Emre Gurkan, pointed out the award is a translation of Touch’s innovative digital strategy targeting Lebanon’s young talents. The main goal of the program, Gurkan stated, is to motivate students and give them the opportunity to learn about what awaits them in the labor market after graduation. Seven teams from Batch 1 have moved into phase three of the Agrytech Program, Lebanon’s Agri-Food Innovation Hub, the first in the region and jointly funded by the Embassy of Kingdom of Netherlands and Berytech. The selected finalists will receive USD 22,000 in matching capital, based on innovation, scalability, financial return and the complete team. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, November 30, 2017)

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First online shopping in Lebanon

29-11-2017

The HiCart.com announced its official launch in a ceremony held last week in Beirut Souks as the first online shopping platform in the country. The website offers an easy and secure e-marketplace for clients who are welcome to choose from a huge variety of brands and products that will be delivered directly to their doorsteps anywhere in Lebanon and around the clock. George Azar, HiCart CEO, pointed to a new wave of change that is affecting the world in terms of new technologies, particularly in retail businesses related to e-commerce. “It is time for Lebanon to keep with what’s happening in the rest of the globe,” Azar maintained. He also pointed to the fast moving trends with the online domain becoming more integrated into everyone’s daily routine, and with consumers in Lebanon becoming more digital-bound in their purchasing decisions, leading to an increase in online shoppers. This, he added, is essentially linked to the growing number of smartphone users and internet penetration besides other factors that prepared the country to welcome an e-commerce platform. In conclusion, Azar said HiCart.com has seized the opportunity to establish itself as the first online marketplace in Lebanon and the Levant by “providing a consumer centric arena embracing the fundamental values of convenience, variety and confidence,” as he put it. (Al Mustaqbal, November 27, 2017)

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Tripoli slowly progress economically on the silk road

28-11-2017

As part of continuous efforts to Bolster Tripoli’s economic role, the president of Al Faiha’a Union of Municipalities, Ahmad Kamareddine, signed on Saturday an agreement with the president of Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce (SRCIS), Li Zhonghang, to join the SRCIS alliance. Following the signing, Adnan Kassar, the chief of the Lebanese Economic Associations and head of Fransabank Group, underlined the pros of the agreement to be translated through the promotion of participating projects and the growth of transformational industries, in addition to firming up the trade and logistic services sectors, as well as, unleashing the cycle of Lebanon’s economy bound for the Arab and African markets. Zhonghang, for his part, stressed Lebanon’s old-new standing as a strategic location on the international commerce road. On the subject, president of the Special Economic Zone (FEZ) and former minister, Raya Hassan, pointed last week, during her participation in  ‘Developments on SEZ’ seminar, to positive negotiations with the World Bank and international donors concerning the special zone. This, Hassan stated, has pushed SEZ to set a3-year timescale to complete the infrastructure works instead of the normal 5-year timetable set for similar undertakings across the globe. In a related vein, the minister of transport and public works, Youssef Finianos, discussed with a delegation of China Harbor engineering company the possibility of implementation of the fourth phase of the expansion and development of Tripoli’s Port. Finianos also received a catalogue on the Port master plan from the Port’s director, Ahmad Tamer. Meanwhile, the secretary general of the Federation of Arab Chambers of Commerce, Khaled Hanafi, visited the chairman of the Chamber of Tripoli and the North, Toufic Dabousi, who briefed him on ‘Tripoli is the economic capital of Lebanon’ initiative. Also, Tripoli’s Tourism Association, in cooperation with Tripoli Chamber and Tripoli Bar Association, organized last Saturday a talk entitled, ‘Tourism in historic cities: Tripoli a model.’ (Mustaqbal, Al-Diyar and Al-Akbar 15,17,26,27,28 November 2017)
 
Previous related news: 
Tripoli linking with New Silk Road

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IDAL support agro-food industries at German/ NYC fairs

28-11-2017

The Investment Development Authority of Lebanon, IDAL, announced in a statement on Friday that as part of its mission to assist, promote and market made-in-Lebanon products, and by virtue of IDAL’s decision and the Cabinet’s approval to support Lebanese exhibitors at the respective Anuga, Fancy Food Show and Gulfood in Germany, NYC and Dubai, the Authority has paid the sum allocated to Anuga and Fancy Food Shows. To this effect, IDAL chairman, Nabil Itani has handed a cheque with the amount of USD 160,000 to Ahmad Huteit, chief of the Syndicate of Owners of Agro-food Industries, according to L’Orient Le Jour. Itani pointed to the agro-food sector’s multiple edges which allowed it to make a quantitative leap in the past few years, (2.6% of the GDP) with exports reaching 21% of the overall exports in 2016. For his part, Huteit underscored the assistance provided by IDAL to the Lebanese exhibitors in international expos, noting the increase in the number of partaking Lebanese industries as a result of this participation which he described as “very good”. This, Huteit added, has helped realize two main goals: firstly, the disposal of production of each participating company, and secondly, marketing the image of Lebanon as a reliable producing country in its first-rate products and in the quantity needed by foreign markets. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, L’Orient Le Jour, November 25, 2017)

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Accord on banana exports to Syria still not in effect

24-11-2017

Seemingly, the Lebanese government’s respective arrangements with Jordan and Syria to facilitate the marketing of agricultural products, particularly bananas, have not been effected. To recall, the Lebanese and Jordanian agriculture ministers agreed in September to export certain products to Jordan starting 15/10/2017, and to increase the export of Lebanese bananas; and so did the Syrian government which imported more than 50,000 tons of these goods as of October 1, 2017 giving them edge over others. Meanwhile, Al Ittihad newspaper mentioned in its November 8th issue that  the minister of agriculture Ghazi Z3ayater was very close to an agreement with his Syrian counterpart regarding the marketing of certain crops from Lebanon, in line with the talks he had in the Syrian capital this past October. In a related vein, banana growers and exporters staged a peaceful sit-in on November 15 on the coastal highway between Saida and Tyre. They appealed to the President of the Republic, the House Speaker and heads of political factions to secure an entry into Syria of their bananas according to a mechanism that prevents further losses on farmers, ensures an equal non-restricted importation of the Lebanese banana and that produced in the neighboring state. Farmers also demanded the Syrian government to exempt Lebanon’s bananas from any taxes or custom fees consistent with the principle of reciprocity. (Al Diyar, Al Ittihad, November 8, 17, 2017)

Previous related news:
Farmers welcome export arrangement with Syria, Jordan
Meeting with Syrian agriculture minister shortly to boost trade
Syrian-Lebanese economic cooperation away from cabinet’s approval
Re-exporting of Lebanese potato to Jordan and increased exports of apples, bananas and onions
 

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