Wheat farmers threaten to escalate actions in the face of government indifferences

Four months after the wheat harvest and storage in the wheat storages, the government has yet to take decisions concerning the modalities of receiving, and paying for this year’s harvest despite various lobbying actions of wheat farmers and which included holding meetings with PM Salam as well as with the Minister of Economy and Trade, Alain Hakim.
Some wheat farmers told As Safir newspaper that they were more pessimistic after their meetings with officials who were indifferent.  They noted that this year’s production is now threatened with damage given the prolonged storage period and the deterioration of the packaging bags.  Wheat farmers have designed a new road map for their upcoming actions which will include the closure of the Shtoura international road in addition to the organisation of a number of sit-ins in front of the Serail in Beirut and in front of the Ministry of Economy and Trade.  Farmers also noted that they had repeatedly called on the government and on the Ministry of Economy to resolve the problem and to place their demands on the Cabinet agenda but to no avail.

Source: Al-Safir 9 September 2014

For further information on the wheat harvest of 2014, please review early news posted on the WEEPortal:
“Wheat farmers in the Beqaa threaten government with escalation to clarify modalities for collecting their new harvest”, on 20/8/2014;
“Wheat production in Beqaa drops by 25% and the Ministry of the Economy is absent”, on 11/7/2014;
"Akkar farmers demand a raise of wheat prices to guarantee sustainability", on 27/6/2014.