Tensions high between wheat growers and government over 2016 crop

Following the ultimatum issued by Beqaa wheat farmers that ended on June 25, regarding the marketing of the wheat crop of 2016 (http://bit.ly/29Ln9iW), the president of wheat farmers in the Beqaa region, Khaled Shuman, warned the government of any further delay on the pretext of inadequate warehouses. This new warning was issued after that wheat farmers were notified of the new conditions for storage which were set by the health minister, and which are difficult to meet. According to the new storage criteria, the harvested wheat should be stacked in ginkgo bags and placed one meter away from the walls of the hayloft to leave enough room for ventilation. In this respect, Abu Fa3ur, after meeting with Shuman last Saturday, insisted that the above conditions are viable, whereas, Shuman noted that the import of the gingko bags from India requires at least 5 months at a time when the farmers have already harvested their crops. As for storage, the wheat farmers’ president maintained that the present capacity of warehouses located in Beqaa is insufficient to store the total wheat production, while reminding the government of its responsibility in finding sufficient facilities for storing. Shuman finally expressed his concern that the present situation may only a prelude to lift the wheat subsidies and to replace them with compensation payments to farmers. (An Nahar, July 19, 2016)