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Lebanese Wine Day from San Francisco to Los Angeles

23-11-2017

After San Francisco, the Lebanese wine producers travelled to Los Angeles to participate in the Lebanese Wine Day organized by the agriculture and foreign ministries and the Consulate of Lebanon in Los Angeles. The event held on Tuesday saw a wide attendance by Lebanese expats and representatives of US touristic institutions, in addition to a huge media representation from Lebanon and the US. On the occasion, the agriculture ministry’s general director, Louis Lahud, said the Lebanese wine has skied out from its motherland to many places around the globe, namely Paris, Berlin, New York City, Washington and San Francisco, and arrived today at Los Angeles. Lahud boasted the success achieved by his country’s delegation at both San Francisco and Los Angeles expos, pressing for an enforced presence of the product in the State of California, the capital of American wine. Lahud stated that the marketing of the Lebanese wine abroad would contribute to increasing production, raising the rate of export and expanding the vineyard plantations, which, in turn, help create new jobs and enhance the economic situation in rural areas. (An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, November 22, 2017)
 

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Olive festival in Hermel, more promises of marketing

21-11-2017

The municipalities and agricultural cooperatives of Hermel, Beqaa, organized on Friday the third edition of the olive festival at Hermel’s cultural center in the presence of the ministers of agriculture and industry, Ghazi Z3ayater and Hussein Haj Hassan. On the occasion, Haj Hassan underlined serious efforts on part of the coops to secure proper marketing of the crop, and commended the quality of the Hermel olive oil globally which also represents a key source of livelihood to the area’s inhabitants. For his part, Z3ayater said that as part of its support to this cultivation and to olive growers, the ministry is currently implementing the third phase of ‘Strengthening and enhancing quality olive oil chain in Lebanon’ project funded by the Italian ministry of foreign affairs in partnership with the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) Bari Italy. He confirmed that the ministry will spare no effort to create marketing outlets abroad for the domestic production, including China as part of a repayment process for a Chinese loan, in addition to other potential markets. In conclusion, the two ministers toured the exhibition on the sideline of the festival which showcased locally produced agricultural goods and mooneh items. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, November 18, 2017)

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Lebanese wine in San Francisco

21-11-2017

The ministry of agriculture in partnership with the American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) celebrated on November 17th the Lebanese Wine Day in San Francisco in the presence of the ministry’s general director, Louis Lahoud, representing President Michel Aoun. More than 27 different producers showcased their wines to members of the wine trade at the historic Merchants Exchange Club in the US city. The event saw a great number of passionate American experts in the wine industry as well as owners of touristic businesses and a crowd of Lebanese expats. In his welcoming speech, Lahoud stressed that the winemaking industry in Lebanon has evolved despite political tensions and unfavorable economic conditions and has contributed largely to the growth of the national economy and to the creation of new jobs. He said the lucrative wine industry not only impacted trade positively but also helped promote Lebanon’s tourism and image as a producer of first-class products. Notwithstanding the modest rate of production (nearly 0.02% of the total global wine production), the Lebanese wine has managed to win international recognition and to reserve a place on the global map of wine-producing regions. For his part, AmCham vice president, Maher Beydoun, said strengthening bilateral US-Lebanese trade is one of the Chamber’s tasks which seeks to build solid bridges between the two countries. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, November 18, 2017)

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Agriculture ministry launches farmers registration in Baalbaq

21-11-2017

The minister of agriculture Ghazi Z3ayater announced from Baalbaq on Sunday that his ministry has initiated a registry for Lebanese farmers within the framework of a project implemented in partnership with FAO in Lebanon. Z3ayater pointed out that while the registration process all over Lebanon necessitates huge funds and efforts, the ministry decided to start with a pilot registry in some villages to assess the required size of work and costs in preparation for a comprehensive implementation on the national level. Z3ayater clarified that the pilot stage is carried out by a technical team of engineers at the ministry who have been trained by FAO experts. An IT registration system has been designed based on entry of data related to the farmer, the farm, location, type of agriculture, machinery and livestock farming, in addition to information on the farmer’s living conditions and the number of workers at the farm, Z3ayater explained. (Al Diyar, November 19, 2017)

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Training workshop for agriculture coops in Tyre

20-11-2017

In cooperation with the International Labor Organization (ILO), the National Union for Agricultural Cooperatives in Lebanon organized on Friday a workshop at the Federation of Tyre Municipalities with the participation of heads of active coops in southern villages. The event comes within the framework of a plan to enable these associations to carry out their developmental role and improve the socio-economic conditions of member societies. Samir Ayub, head of the Union of Coops, said the workshop is aimed at training and rehabilitation of members of the boards of agricultural cooperatives for enhancing their performance, hoping it achieves the desired goals. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, November 18, 2017)

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Nine of ten companies in Lebanon are SMEs

17-11-2017

In its feature on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Lebanon http://bit.ly/2AOuPyu), Al Akhbar published a set of figures and indicators on numbers of SMEs, areas of activity and geographical distribution. According to the above figures, there are some 225,000 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, while nine out of ten companies in Lebanon are small and medium-sized, Al Akhbar wrote.The distribution of these SMEs in relation to the sectors they engage in is as follows: wholesale and retail commerce and trade (56.8%); real estate (14.1%); industry (11%); construction (48%); transport and communications (3.9%); hospitality, hotels and restaurants (3.7%); financial intermediaries (2.3%); social services (1.7%) and other services (1.6%). In terms of provincial distribution, figures indicated the following: Mount Lebanon (48.6%); Greater Beirut district (31%); the North (7.7%); Beqaa (5.4%); the South (5.4%) and Nabatieh and Jabal Amel (1.8%). In its report, Al Akhbar also drew attention to the main deterrent to applying for a bank loan during the past fiscal year. Figures have shown that in developing countries, business owners complain about discouraging high interest rates, the many requirements for the loan eligibility and the complex application procedures. In developed countries, however, complaints remain but not as great as in less-developed countries. For more info on the figures and indicators on SMEs, kindly visit the following link: : http://bit.ly/2hxzKvZ، http://bit.ly/2zNLTVX، http://bit.ly/2zapcOV، http://bit.ly/2A5p6bj. (Al Akhbar, November 9, 2017)

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Berytech to support SMEs with EU funding

17-11-2017

The startup incubator, Berytech, launched yesterday the Next Society venture funded by the EU during a ceremony organized in partnership with ANIMA Investment Network, Mowgli Mentoring and France Clusters. The launch event, under the theme, ‘A Shared Ambition for the Mediterranean’, comes as part of the activities of Berytech, during the Global Entrepreneurship Week held in collaboration with Beirut Digital District (BDD). On the occasion, the head of the EU Delegation to Lebanon, Ambassador Christina Lassen, said the aim of the project is to translate ideas into products and services that generate growth and create jobs. Similarly, Berytech chair and CEO, Maroun Chammas, said, “We are very proud to be the exclusive partner of The Next Society in the country as we share the same mission and shape the future of the region and that of the Mediterranean.” For his part, ANIMA general manager, Emmanuel Noutary, pointed out that the project reflects the philosophy that is based on corporate social responsibility and supports the rise of potentials and new leaders by targeting startups, clusters and technology transfer offices. He uncovered a four-year action plan implemented with EU backing, through enhancing general policy frameworks, promoting the success of startups and international clusters, in addition to fostering technology transfer offices. (Al Mustaqbal, November 17, 2017)

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Airbnb a fast-emerging trend in Lebanon

14-11-2017

In its Friday issue, Al Ittihad newspaper drew attention to the fast-emerging easy-to-access online property finder and vacation rentals at very competitive prices for tourists. In this respect, Al Ittihad spotlighted the https://www.airbnb.com/ portal showcasing simple, luxurious or contemporary apartments for daily rent in the capital and across Lebanon and the globe with special conditions unlike guesthouses, hotels or furnished apartments. These accommodations, the newspaper wrote, could be small apartments, modern studios, shared or single rooms for rent on daily basis found all over Lebanon. It is a new trend available for everyone, Al Ittihad went on to say. Anyone who wants to rent a flat can access the website or download the mobile application. It is possible to book and get the keys of the apartment with no need to actually see it or meet the proprietor. Prices per night of these apartments vary from USD 50, USD 150, USD 250 or even more. Young people seeking privacy are the main customers on the lookout for Airbnb services. The head of the touristic federation, Jean Beiruti, told Al Ittihad reporter that the Airbnb rental is different from a regular hotel in many ways. The landlord or property owner does not have to declare to the General Security Department the identity of his occupant/renter as is the case with guesthouses or hotels, rendering them more loose in terms of security and safety. He said this kind of accommodation does not quite compete with the notion of hotels or furnished apartments. (Al Ittihad, November 10, 2017)

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Bank initiative to fill gaps in official economic data

10-11-2017

The Lebanese State lacks regularly updated central economic statistics to measure the economic activity across productive sectors. As such, economic researchers/ experts/ investors searching for relevant figures and data about the state of economy have to look for that through the different periodicals and publications issued by public institutions, namely (the Central Bank, the Central Administration of Statistics (CAS), the Finance Ministry, Customs, and others). They can as well use the data of international institutions or private companies, while knowing that even these figures could lack accuracy or real-time integration. In an initial attempt to correct the situation, Blom Bank launched yesterday an innovative and free economic data and research portal, BRITE (brite.blominvestbank.com), . This platform offers free world-class research and analysis tools in addition to a number of key support services customized for businesses that cover the national economy. BRITE is the fruit of partnership between Blom Bank, Economena Analytics and Moody’s Analytics. A statement by Blom Bank said that, while reliable free information is not often accessible online, BRITE will be the go-to-site covering more than 5000 indicators on the Lebanese economy. For his part, Economena Analytics founder, Tamim Akiki, said that BRITE gives Lebanon a push into the league of developed markets in terms of access to economic data. It also helps businesses and researchers explore opportunities across every sector of the Lebanese economy. (L’Orient Le Jour, An Nahar, November 9, 10, 2017)

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Exporting Lebanese apples to Russia to help farmers

7-11-2017

The Rene Moawad Foundation (RMF) launched an initiative aimed at helping Lebanese apple growers dispose their harvest in Russian markets for the first time, reported Al Jumhouriya today. RMF, the newspaper said, struck a deal with a specialized company to export made-in-Lebanon veggies and fruits to Russia. This initiative comes as part of the ‘promotion of agriculture and rural development program’ managed by RMF, to alleviate the marketing crisis of domestic production as a result of border closure on the one hand, and the delayed compensation by the government to grieved farmers on the other. To this end, Lebanese apples were packed in line with Russian and international specifications with the guarantee of Bureau Veritas (TIC) for global testing and certification. The company also seeks to eventually grant access to African and East Asian markets for other varieties of Lebanese fruits and vegetables. In this respect, the minister of agriculture, Ghazi Zeiater, received yesterday a delegation of the Batrouniyat Cooperative and the Lebanese Maronite Order coop- Adyar. The delegation presented a joint project for cooling and packaging of apples, olives, olive oil and apple juice products to serve the areas of Batroon, Bcharri, Koura, Zgharta and Jbeil. Zeiater responded by expressing his ministry’s readiness to cooperate with resources at hand. Meanwhile, the head of the Higher Relief Council, Maj. Gen. Mohamad Kheir, supervised the distribution of the second instalment of the government’s compensation to apple farmers in the Bekaa towns of Arsaal and Labweh. (Lebanon 24, Al Joumhouriya, Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, November 4, 7, 2017)

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