Olive growers complain from official neglect

In its continuous coverage of the difficult conditions of farmers, As Safir daily reported that olive season this year varied in the cost and size of production from one region to another. While the areas of Iqlim al Toufah and Hasbaya enjoyed a favorable harvest, Nabatieh and parts of Batroun and Koura had a bad one, the newspaper said. The common feature among all olive plantations however is the abandonment by the authorities of this agriculture and the absence of proper extension assistance prior to, during and after the farming season, in addition to the emerging marketing crisis which equally knocked  the different agricultural products. The olive tree has become a burden for many farmers because it needs longer time to bear fruit and start giving. This, the newspaper went on to say, has prompted olive growers to cut the trees and lease the orchards to real estate investors. Moreover, other farmers chose to substitute the olives for other crops that can sustain the changing weather conditions and provide a decent livelihood for their families.

Speaking to a number of farmers in different regions across Lebanon, As Safir noted a bleak olive season in the Central Koura area, particularly with the outbreak of a deadly disease, peacock spot or olive leaf spot. “The olive agriculture in this area is a declared disaster,” said the head of the Federation of Koura Municipalities, Karim Bou Karim, who added that the local municipalities did not receive the promised fertilizers to be distributed to olive growers.

As Safir, Al Mustaqbal, Daily Star, October 27 & 28, 2015