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Impact of Syrian refugees on agriculture in Lebanon

24-8-2017

In cooperation with the ministry of agriculture and the Regional Centre on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development for the Near East (CARDNE), the Agriculture Engineers Section at the Order of Engineers in Beirut organized yesterday a workshop entitled, ‘exchanging experiences on the impact of Syrian refugees on the agricultural sector and rural communities in host countries’. The event was held in the presence of minister Ghazi Zouaiter represented by engineer Louis Lahoud, the president of the Lebanese Engineers Union Jad Tabet and concerned dignitaries. On the occasion, Tabet pointed out that the agriculture sector crisis in the country has exacerbated with the influx of displaced Syrians since 2011 and their concentration in rural areas that suffer from marginalization and deprivation for combined factors. This, Tabet explained, has placed additional pressure on residents of these areas, in terms of daily subsistence and livelihood and job competition. He disclosed that the Union is preparing a conference on restructuring the comprehensive land use plan in Lebanon in the wake of the refugee crisis and the impact of displacement on the local economic and productive sectors. Lahoud, for his part, considered the crisis a humanitarian issue provided that it does not affect the nation negatively. The Union and the Order, he said, will issue joint recommendations to be submitted to the agriculture minister and the Cabinet. In conclusion, Lahoud stressed that the working group at the ministry will develop a work plan to be announced at the Agriculture Engineer National Day, including the creation of markets for local products through improving specifications and reducing costs. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, August 24, 2017)

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International projects supporting Lebanese olive oil

23-8-2017

L’Orient Le Jour said that despite the multiple projects sustaining the olive oil sector in the country, local producers still face challenges in competing in international markets. The newspaper cited a one million euro agreement signed earlier this month with the Italian government to enhance the quality of olive oil through improving production techniques and as a result increase prospects of export. The newspaper also mentioned the USD 2 million Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development (LIVCD) project since 2013 funded by USAID. The project focused mainly on the rehabilitation of electronic presses and the distribution of olive harvest machines to some 55 agricultural cooperatives which helped in curtailing the cost of production. However, only 3,000 out of 100 thousand farmers benefited from the project, according to L’Orient Le Jour. Other projects included, a UNDP program kicked off last year through which 55 thousand olive harvesting equipment were distributed; a project in the making by Mercy Corps Lebanon to support olive farmers; a program launched last year by ACTED with a USD 700 thousand backing from EU to help olive oil and honey producing coops and, a French Development Agency (AFD) funded Daman 2 project from 2016-2018. For reference, Lebanon exports around 18% of its olive oil to the United States that boasts a large Lebanese expat community, and to the GCC states, with exports reaching 10 thousand tons in 2016 (at USD 30 million). (L’Orient Le Jour, August 21, 2017)

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USD 10 million needed to support olive oil producers in Hasbaya and Marjey3oon
A critical drop in olive production coupled with a rising cost in the Southern border
 

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French promises to facilitate Lebanese exports to Europe

23-8-2017

The minister of industry, Hussein Haj Hassan, briefed yesterday French Senator Jean-Marie Bockel on the difficult economic situation in the country seeking his mediation in facilitating the export of made-in-Lebanon goods to Europe and France. After the meeting, Haj Hassan disclosed that the support of Lebanese exports was at the heart of discussions held last month at the European Commission in Brussels. To recall, the industry ministry has warned recently against trade imbalances with many countries, particularly with Europe. Bockel stressed in turn the need to sustain dialogue between Lebanon, Europe and France to the effect of activating trade exchange and easing access of Lebanese exports to the Old Continent. It should be noted, that Bockel’s visit to Beirut comes before President Michel Aoun’s projected visit to France and his talks with French President Macron and other French officials. (Al Diyar, August 23, 2017)

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Lebanon may resort to trade barriers to safeguard its industry from external dumping
Minister Hajj Hassan reiterates from Rome his demand for access to European markets
Haj Hassan reiterates his demand for better access to European markets
 

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Traditional thyme “green gold” of Lebanese southerners

22-8-2017

In a special feature on thyme agriculture, Al Mustaqbal reported that the Nabatiyeh farmers in the South are busy picking the wild crop growing in holes between rocks and in the peripheries of towns or cultivated in greenhouses. Both varieties, the newspaper wrote, constitute a livelihood for farmers, where one kg of the zaatar (aromatic mix of thyme, sumac and sesame seeds) is sold at LBP 35,000. In the wake of the July 2006 Israeli War on Lebanon, an Italian non-government organization gave in-kind donations (plastic tents and herb seedlings) to grieved thyme growers in the towns of Yohmor, East and West Zawtar and Qaaqaiyat al Jisr to plant and irrigate in farmlands and produce two harvest seasons. Al Mustaqbal mentioned that some farmers who collect wild thyme work with cultivated herb growers in marketing the produce locally. There is a high demand on the crop, Abu Jibran Mohamad Jaber from Zawtar, told the newspaper’s reporter. He said he wakes up at dawn for the painstaking trip in search of wild thyme in order to sell it to the town’s inhabitants who usually stores it for eating or for making the popular Lebanese manakish (flatbread baked with thyme). Likewise, Mohamad Ulleik who owns 5 plastic tents close to Litani River, boasted that zaatar is the green gold of the South. “In one year, we reap around 500 kgs and sell them to wholesale dealers who in turn vend them to bakeries,” Ulleik said, demanding that the government stop the entry of Syrian and Jordanian thyme into Lebanon during the harvest season. Also, Sonya Jaber from Hamra who tends to a field planted with wild thyme, described this type of agriculture as ‘profitable’, but needs official support from the ministry of agriculture and the municipalities to sustain a decent living to low-income Lebanese households. (Al Mustaqbal, August 18, 2017)

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Seer Denniyyeh voted best village in Lebanon in OLJ competition

21-8-2017

The northern town of Seer Denniyyeh won the best preferred village in Lebanon in the ‘village prefere des Libanais’ competition launched by L’Orient Le Jour (OLJ) in partnership with Fransabank, Suk el Tayyeb and LiveLoveBeirut initiative. The 10 contestant villages shortlisted for their distinctive archeological, touristic and environmental features were:  Tanoorine (Batroon), Seer Denniyyeh (North), Qulaile (Tyre), Hasroon (Besharreh), Maaser el Shuf (Shuf), Tebnin (Bint Jbeil), Akoora (Jbeil), Bhamdoon (Aley), Beit Shabeb (Metn) and Anjar (Zahle). Each village or town displayed as well rare culinary, artisanal or traditional treasures. Commenting on the news, the mayor of Seer Denniyyeh, Ahmad Alam, said that while this victory has brought the village of Sir to the forefront as a touristic and media destination, it placed greater responsibility on the municipality in terms of rehabilitation and development of the town’s facilities to be able to accommodate projected visitors and holidaymakers. Likewise, the president of the Federation of Municipalities of Seer Denniyyeh, Mohamed Saadiyeh, pointed out that selecting Seer as the best town by the Lebanese constituted a cultural turning point that should be complemented by the government. The latter “should realize that despite the deliberate marginalization, deprivation and absenting the area from the development map, we managed to show the world the real image of Seer,” Sayadiyyeh boasted. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, August 20, 21, 2017)

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IDAL entrepreneurship workshop

18-8-2017

In cooperation with UNIDO, the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) inaugurated yesterday a 3-day workshop on the development of men and women entrepreneurs, as well as support of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The opening was held in the presence of IDAL's president, Nabil Itani, and president of the Arab International Center for Entrepreneurship and Investment (AICEI), Hashim Hussein, in addition to representatives of involved ministries, chambers and departments and UNIDO investment experts. The goal of the workshop, Itani stated, is to prepare competencies needed to identify, select, train, provide consultancy and support entrepreneurs to kick off their projects, in addition to inform participants on the process of planning and execution of institutional growth. Itani pressed the need to prop SMEs and to approach them in terms of enhancing the business climate, pointing that Lebanon is a key partner in the economic development process. He called for development of communities and transforming them from consumer to productive societies based on the resources, raw material and skilled labor at hand, as well as the availability of land. For his part, Hussein pointed out that currently the focus is on helping the youth realize their ideas and dreams, commending the distinctive application of the program in Lebanon as the first country to implement it via the chambers of commerce, to be later streamlined in other Arab states. (Al Diyar, August 18, 2017)

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Tobacco growing in South Lebanon deteriorating after being the main livelihood for dozens of households

17-8-2017

In its issue of today, Al Hayat newspaper featured tobacco culture in South Lebanon pointing to a decline from the past three decades in the cultivation of the crop particularly in the towns and villages of Jabal Amel. This agriculture constituted the basic livelihood for thousands of households before the Israeli invasion of 1978 and the displacement of the area’s inhabitants. The period designated the start of a gradual decline in tobacco growing which culminated in recent years to reach nearly 50%, according to Regie sources. The latter outlined a number of factors for the waning crop cultivation, namely the increasing cost on the farmer who was left alone when his children and family gave up on him and he was forced to hire workers for the job. Also, the soaring prices of pesticides, changing climate conditions and water scarcity forced tobacco farmers to buy water for irrigation, in addition to the degeneration of field soil in the wake of the 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon. The Regie sources said that the increase in the production cost was not paralleled by an increase in demand on the crop from farmers. One Kg of fine quality tobacco, for example, is sold at LBP 15 thousand, that is by only LBP 2 thousand increase from the past 10 years. But despite the relinquishing of the cultivation by many southern households, yet many others are still involved in this traditional agriculture for lack of alternative sources of livelihoods. (Al Hayat, August 17, 2017)

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Joint collaboration to support SMEs in Lebanon

17-8-2017

In a statement issued yesterday, Byblos Bank announced its signing of a loan agreement with SANAD Fund for MSME by which up to USD 20 million are channeled to support the financing needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), contribute to creation of additional jobs, reduce poverty and stimulate growth and development. To note, SANAD Fund aims to finance micro, small and medium enterprises as well as low-income households in the Middle East and North Africa through qualified local lenders. The statement pointed out that the loan is the first of its kind with Byblos Bank in support of local SMEs operating in any of the economic sectors, including commerce, industry, professional services and services in general, crafts or any marginalized small industries or trades. The loan, the statement went on to say, can be also used to provide short or long term funding at competitive interest rates to cover permanent working capital of SMEs. On the occasion, Byblos Bank chair and general manager, Semaan Bassil, stressed confidence in bolstering relations with SANAD in the coming years. The objective is to promote the growth of SMEs given their significant contribution to national development and generation of jobs, he stated. For her part, SANAD board chair, Daniela Beckman, said “this loan is only a first step with our new partner, Byblos Bank.” (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, August 17, 2017)

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Crisis of marketing crops versus government’s disability

17-8-2017

The minister of finance, Ali Hassan Khalil, uncovered during a Cabinet meeting on August 9 problems in funding (déblocage des credits) problems which are hampering the release of the 2nd installment of compensation to apple growers. The president of the Lebanese Farmers Association, Antoine Howayek, had earlier given the government one week ultimatum to resolve this impasse, describing what is happening as a relinquishing of responsibilities to disrupt the financing process. Howayek said promises by political parties to deliver the remaining batch of funds has exposed the lies they harbor and their disdain or indifference to Lebanese farmers. Khalil’s statement came in response to a question put by health minister Ghassan Hasbani on the subject, as reported by L’Orient Le Jour. Khalil made clear to the newspaper that the allocated sums will be dispensed, but did not give further details. To note, the previous cabinet of PM Tamam Salam had agreed last October to pay a sum of LBP 40 billion to grieved farmers half of which has been distributed (LBP 20 billion). However, the unfavorable situation continues to engulf different types of agriculture across the Lebanese regions. According to An Nahar, with the unending apple crisis and the stacking of produce in cold storage, pears are facing the same fate with pear growers calling for assistance to face an imminent disaster. Also, various agriculture cooperative associations in Tanourine, Bcharri, Ehden and Laqlouq have raised voice for the same demands. (L’Orient Le Jour, An Nahar, August 11, 2017)

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Pilot car-free eco-village in Kfarzebian

16-8-2017

Ahlam Golf & Mountain Village by FFA Real Estate was launched last week in Kfarzibian area where the untouched and protected nature represents 70% of the surface area of the 1.1 million square meter scheme. The village is car-free designed exclusively for pedestrians, hikers and trekkers who can benefit from the many accessible nature trails. The project also contains an equestrian and polo club, a golf course and club and other facilities. To note, the development project, under construction, gives people the option to buy a piece of land and build their own home or live in the central village’s ready-made houses. On the project, Omar Shantouf, general manager of FFA Real Estate, said the vision is to create a scenic place where dreams can turn into reality. Staring this summer, Shantouf added, people are invited to see for themselves what living in Ahlam Golf & Mountain Village is like, besides the comfort and essential amenities extended by the project. (Al Akhbar, August 15, 2017)

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