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In a special feature published yesterday, The Daily Star highlighted the challenges facing Lebanese farmers for a number of reasons, mainly, the closure of the borders with Syria and Jordan, the rigorous competition of foreign goods and the absence of government protection to agriculture. The Lebanese State allocates a miniscule fraction (hardly 1%) to a sector that supports the livelihoods of thousands of households, The Daily Star wrote. On the subject, the head of the Farmers’ Association in Besharreh, reiterated his criticism of the government which resorts to incomplete solutions to resolve endemic problems. The newspaper also brought to mind the drawback in exporting which, it said, exacerbated with the closure of crossings in response to a decision last September by then agriculture minister Akram Shehayeb’s in his bid to control the flow of Syrian goods into the country. This impasse prompted Lebanon’s state-run agency, IDAL, to launch the famous maritime bridge export program, which led to a fall in Lebanese exports from 533.18 tons in 2014 to 364.75 tons in 2015 down till 360.76 tons in 2016, according to Lebanese Customs figures. Citing informed sources, The Daily Star disclosed the presence of some 50 illegal crossings along the Baalbek-Hermel borders alone. It recalled the president of the Beqaa Farmers’ Association, Ibrahim Tarshishi’s criticism of the above program which, as he said, supported big producers rather than small farmers who were inflicted with substantial losses due to the high sea shipping costs. On the subject, Nasser Lama, the technical director of the USAID-funded Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development Project (LIVCD), proposed a number of solutions to alleviate the situation. It begins with improving the quality of agricultural products and adding varieties that are wanted in the external markets, and the rationalization of the use of pesticides. (The Daily Star, February 14, 2017)

 

 

The Lebanese Forces (LF) Syndicates Department created an employment office targeting the youth with the aim to reinforce their steadfastness to their land. Created under the title, ‘Recruit a Lebanese’, the office serves as a liaison between young job seekers and employers and allows applicants and employers to post their respective resumes and vacancies on the following website:  https:/www.facebook.com/LFS.jobs/. Similarly, the LF department issued a statement on Monday cautioning against widespread joblessness, particularly among the young generation, as a result of escalating illegal competition from foreign labor force. The department underscored the role of the National Employment Office (NEO) established by the Lebanese government in line with Decree No. 77/80, and supervised by the Labor Ministry, with the aim of providing jobs and upgrading the skill of workers through offering accelerated training. The statement concluded by saying that with the reinvigoration of state-run institutions, the work of NEO has picked up speed, urging all job seekers to apply through the NEO e-portal (http://www.neo.gov.lb/home.aspx).(Al Diyar, February 14, 2017)

 

The civil society of Akkar in the North rallied yesterday to step up efforts aimed at reopening the Kleiat Airport. In cooperation with the Federation of Municipalities of Akkar Plain, residents and local dignitaries gathered in the town of Tal Hayat under the banner ‘Kleiat …is taking off’ to stress the development purpose of the protest which, they say, does not have any political or partisan linkages as it is entirely aimed at rehabilitating the airport planned to generate nearly 6 thousand jobs in the first phase, and up to 21 thousand prospects with the completion of the project, according to activist Jamal Khodr. Similarly, the Mufti of Akkar appealed to the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, who advocates for change and reform, to give priority to this vital matter, and called on the prime minister to take a historic decision to this end. In a related development and according to Al Diyar newspaper, Akkar residents blame the successive Hariri led governments for impeding the reopening of the airport for many reasons. One reason, is that these governments were reluctant to delocalize trade and the economy away form the capital. Another reason, Al Diyar wrote, is that since the airport is anticipated to create 20 thousand new jobs to citizens of Akkar, this new project may divert political allegiance towards local political forces. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, February 9 and 13, 2017)

 

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Demands to re-open Kleiat airport in the North to create new jobs

Kleiat airport in Akkar still a political hostage

 

 

The Director General and CEO of Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL), Nabil Itani, inaugurated on Wednesday the Lebanese pavilion at the Berlin Fruit Logistica 2017 expo (on February 8,9,10) in the presence of a large group of local agricultural exporters and enterprises. To note, the 77 square meter booth is supported by the Federation of Lebanese Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture under the sponsorship of IDAL. Organized for the fourth consecutive year, Lebanon’s wing at the international exhibition hosted this year some 49 exporters and 14 companies involved with the production and marketing of fresh agricultural goods and with associate services. Lebanon’s participation comes to underscore the dynamism and resilience of made-in-Lebanon goods in competing at world markets, according to a statement released by IDAL on the occasion. The exhibition provides a dynamic opportunity for the Lebanese exports to access European and global markets, the statement said. Itani pointed out that agriculture boasts big potentials for growth and investment. The exported goods are competitive not by their size but high quality that is line with international specifications, Itani said. For his part, the chief of the agriculture committee at the Federation, Rafleh Debaneh, underlined the significance of participating in similar shows that facilitate the marketing of Lebanese agricultural produce. (Al Diyar, February 9, 2017)

 

Following the meeting on January 14 between Beqaa dairy farmers and the ministers of agriculture, industry and economy to discuss the constant fall in the prices of milk (https://goo.gl/ApGSeN), the new minister of agriculture, Ghazi Zu3ayter, called, after a joint meeting with dairy farmers, Milk Cooperatives Union and the Lebanese Council of Dairy Producers, for more cooperation between all parties in order to find the right solutions. A small study committee was formed to prepare a work plan that will be later submitted to the minister for proper actions. Zu3ayter also met with the delegation of poultry farmers in Lebanon to discuss the same problem, and also agreed as an outcome to form a committee to study the cost of production of broilers locally. Furthermore, citrus growers in the South staged on 1st of February a sit-in earlier, on Zahrani highway to protest what they called the smuggling of foreign agricultural products into the country, while citrus farmers in Akkar, staged a similar sit-in on February 2, during which the president of the Federation of Municipalities of Akkar warned of escalating actions. For his part, the mayor of Telm3yan waned that if the current deterioration continues agriculture could soon totally collapse. (The Daily Star, Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, February 2, 3, 5, 6, 2017)

 

Local and civil community organisations in the North are relentless in their demands to restore work at Qoleiat Airport. In this respect, the president of the Federation of Municipalities of the Center and Coast of Qaita’ Province, Ahmad Meer, said yesterday that the Akkari community is united in its call to reopen the René Moawwad Airport in the northern town of Qoleiat, describing it as a strategic and vital facility. Meer appealed to the president of the republic, the prime minister and house speaker to give the green light for rehabilitation and reparation works. He considered the undertaking as a priority for the development and advancement of the area, particularly that it can promote multiple economic, agricultural, industrial and touristic prospects. Meer stressed the importance of the airport as an “economic gateway for the marketing of domestic agricultural products and the facilitation of air traffic to various world destinations.” Restoring operations to Qoleiat Airport, Meer stated, shall generate thousands of jobs for local residents, reduce the migration of youth and increase their steadfastness to their land. In a related incident, and in cooperation with committees in charge of following up the matter, the civil society of Akkar met on January 20 at the Municipality Hall of Halba with the theme ‘From Martyr President Rene Muawad Airport to the Martyr PM Rafic Hariri Airport’. During the meeting, a national and popular follow-up and mobilization campaign was launched to pressure involved authorities towards reactivating civil aviation at Qulaiat Airport. Participants asked the government to endorse a restoration workshop in preparation for reopening the facility, with the contribution of all the neighboring municipalities in terms of repair of infrastructure of roads leading to it. (Al Diyar, January 21 and February 7, 2017)

 

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Economic circles are becoming increasingly involved with the expansion and development of Tripoli’s port and the special economic zone (SEZ) in preparation for the forthcoming reconstruction boom in neighboring war-torn Syria. On the subject, SEZ chairperson, Raya Hassan, pointed out on Tuesday that preparation works for establishing the special zone have largely progressed and are expected to be completed within the coming two months. Yet, Hassan who was speaking during a meeting with a delegation of the World Bank to discuss updating the Zone’s economic feasibility plan, added that funding of infrastructure work still needs to be secured from various sources, including the private sector, Arab and international institutions or alternatively from the Lebanese government. On his part, the head of the Gulftainer Company which provides container shipping lines in the Port of Tripoli, Antoine Amaturi, underscored the need to start work in SEZ so that it is fully prepared to play a role in the reconstruction of war-torn Syria and Iraq. 

On a related note, the Port de Tripoli director, Ahmad Tamer, maintained that the nature formed harbor which is undergoing expansion works, has made a quantum leap in January posting a record in income, the first since its inception in the fifties of the past Century. Revenues have reached nearly LBP 3 billion and LBP 13 million (USD 2 million), he said. Moreover, the port has become a focal point of attraction for many regional and global companies, Tamer boasted, adding that these companies, believe the port will serve as an intersection point on the Silk Road between East Asia and Europe. On the development works, Tamer disclosed they will continue for three years with funding from the Islamic Bank for Development and a USD 86 million worth loan. Citing an international maritime economic and transport expert, Tamer noted that the global bodies involved in the development of cargo shipping lines between China, India and East Asia to Europe and vice versa, and as part of the New Silk Road, now consider the Port de Tripoli as a central hub for servicing this new global road. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, February 1 and 2, 2017)

 

 

In collaboration with La Regie Libanaise Des Tabacs & Tombacs (Regie), Philip Morris Lebanon distributed on Monday some 136 scholarships to children of tobacco farmers in the North who completed their high school studies. The activity comes within the framework of a larger initiative funded by Morris in support of learning and education. During the ceremony, the general director of the Regie, engineer Nassif Seqlawi, pointed out that for the 4th consecutive year, the state-run company has been jointly working with Tobacco International and Philip Morris to this end, stressing the importance of education in the advancement of societies. Seqlawi also underlined the pivotal role of the Regie to reduce the rate of school dropouts and empower the youth with proper skills and capacities that give them greater access to the labor market, adding that new scholarships will be allocated next year to the Beqaa region. To note, scholarships in the past three years have been assigned to Nabatieh, Marje3yoon and Tyre. (Al Mustaqbal, February 2, 2017)

 

Following the appeal by Beqaa dairy farmers to the President of the Republic to put an end to the unprecedented fall in milk prices, the ministers of economy, industry and agriculture held a joint meeting on January 14 to discuss the matter. On the subject, L’Orient Le Jour daily cited a 2014 report by the EU funded LACTIMED project for promoting Mediterranean dairy products noting a fall to 15 thousand tons in the production of dairy products, cheeses and labneh during the period between 2003 and 2009, with a 9% drop in the domestic use of similar products in the same period. According to the Chamber of Commerce of Zahleh, Saeed Gedeon, one liter of milk has been sold recently between LBP 350 and 500 (USD 0.2-0.3) against a production price of LBP 800 (USD 0.53) and a selling price of LBP 1000 per liter of milk in 2014. Gedeon attributed this to a decreasing demand by dairy factories and a corresponding increase in the import of similar items from neighboring states and the EU, being facilitated by free trade agreements signed by the Lebanese government. In this respect, the Chairperson of Libanlait, Marc Waked, maintained that factories prefer imported powdered milk over the fresh locally-produced milk. And according to Customs figures, the size of powdered milk imported primarily from Sweden and France has reached nearly 6 thousand tons by the end of November, 2016 (at USD 15 million), which is equivalent to double the quantity imported back in 2012. Regarding liquid milk, it is imported chiefly from Saudi Arabia. The industry minister, Haj Hassan, revealed to L’Orient Le Jour that his ministry will halt as of February 1 the sale of unpacked labneh and cheeses, which will eventually rein in the smuggling of foreign goods and the closure of illegitimate factories. Haj Hassan added that his ministry, in cooperation with the ministry of agriculture, is seeking to reactivate the Committee in charge of the milk sector in order to discuss the pricing and the relationship between factories and milk producers. (L’Orient Le Jour, January 23, 2017)

 

 

 

Following the launch by Berytech Incubator last week of the Agrytech center specialized in agri-food innovation in Lebanon (:http://bit.ly/2jBJ94p), the Embassy of the Netherlands and Berytech, in coordination with the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agricultural in Saida and the South, organized yesterday a workshop to introduce the above program. On the occasion, the Chamber’s president, Mohammad Saleh, emphasized the aim of the project namely the preparation of a business environment that inspires creativity and entrepreneurship among the youth, as well as extending the needed administrative and funding facilities. The project also supports the business sector in keeping up with the knowledge-based economy and the fast changing technology at a cost effective rate, Saleh said. He pointed out that the Chamber seeks to create an environment that fosters supportive programs in industrial innovation in all the productive fields, with special focus on technology. This, Saleh mentioned, brings about an increased reliance on the industry sector as a prime source of income and not just a complementary division of other economic sectors. For his part, Berytech representative, Rami Abu Jawdeh, gave participants in the workshop a detailed presentation of the project stressing its importance in the advancement of agriculture through the enhancement of irrigation methods and the quality of production. In addition, he pointed to the agri-food industries and their compatibility with the domestic and external markets. Likewise, Engineer Elias Shnei’i drew attention to the beneficiaries of the Agritech, the economic size of the agriculture sector and challenges it faces.  (Al Diyar, February 1, 2017)