The head of the Farmers’ Association in Beqaa, Ibrahim Tarshishi, announced yesterday that Jordan’s repeated closure of the Jaber border crossing with Syria barring the entry of Lebanese agricultural trucks was a shock to Lebanese farmers. This is the third time that Jordan retracts its decision to open the crossing, Tarshishi said, pointing to some 50 refrigerated trucks stranded since 15 days for no clear reason. It is worth noting that, Jordan Interior Minister promised late last week to open the borders to shipments of vegetables and fruits as of Sunday, August 30, in what Diyar newspaper described as a new glimmer of hope for Lebanese exports. However, the closure was subsequently extended until September 3. Tarshishi urged Lebanese authorities to work with Jordan in order to lift the closure of the border which resulted in 2000 tons of goods being stranded, and in losses estimated at more than USD 1 million. He also demanded that authorities negotiate with their Syrian counterparts to bring down their high transit fees. (Diyar, August 28, September 1, 2020)