Because of foreign competition and limited exports low prices of potato a sign of demise!

In its edition of today, As Safir daily newspaper highlighted the catastrophic conditions of potato growers because of law prices and difficulties in exporting to Arab countries. Farmers described the situation as a state of bankruptcy and demise where the ultimate price of one kg of potato in the field barely reaches LBP 400 (below the cost value), at a time when the desired price should be around LBP 600 (which includes a profit margin). The newspaper spoke to agricultural expert Bilal Zoghbi who indicated that the collapse of prices in the first days of a generous harvest season is a sign of an economic disaster, expecting yet a further decline in the coming days, especially with the rise in the market supply of potatoes against limited demand. Zoghbi called for declaring a state of agricultural emergency, and for the removal of obstacles in sea exporting. This, he explained, will revive the sector and improve the situation of farmers, rather than that of maritime transport agencies. Furthermore, he proposed increasing the financial allocation in subsidies to the export of domestic potato, thus preventing an additional drop in the prices. Similarly, potato grower, Najeeb Saadeh, blamed officials for the present crisis, especially that the Ministry of Agriculture has recently approved the unlimited imports of Egyptian potato. (As Safir, June 28 2016)