Fig season in Aley below expectations amidst farmers’ appeal for aid

As Safir daily newspaper reported that fig growers in the villages and towns of the Mount Lebanon area are facing a late and waning season, particularly in Aley area and in neighboring communities. The newspaper added that this type of agriculture is considered a primary source of local livelihood, besides olive and grape cultivation. The most affected community, according to the newspaper was the town of Mesherfeh which is famously named ‘the land of figs’ given its traditionally dry climate. The harvest season is lagging one month behind in a scientifically unprecedented and unexplained phenomenon according to agriculture engineers. In this respect, fig farmer Imad A7hmadieh from Aley describer the season as below expectations adding that fruits have not fully grown and therefore cannot be marketed. He appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Higher Relief Committee to assess the damages in fig orchards and to compensate farmers for their losses. Meanwhile, in another report from the Higher Metn area, farmer, Sari Hilal, grieved that almost all the fig produce in that area has been damaged.(As Safir, September 5, 2015)