Farmers of North Lebanon and Beqaa seek government compensation for frost damages and await the decision of the Cabinet

Farmers from North Lebanon and the Beqaa organized a sit-in last Sunday in the village of Sha3t in the Beqaa in response to a call by the Federation of Syndicates of Lebanese Farmers in Lebanon and the Regional Cooperative Union in the Beqaa.  Farmers protested the negligence of the state vis-à-vis their losses resulting from the recent frost which hit the region last Monday.  Farmers called on the government to proceed with a speedy assessment of damages followed by direct compensations as well as the set up of an insurance fund for natural disasters as a precautionary measure. Thaer Zoughaib spoke on behalf of the Union of Farmers’ Syndicates and noted that the frost  wave have caused a disaster in the agricultural sector which hit fruit trees, greenhouses and field crops and where damages ranged between 70 to 100%.  Within the same vein, farmers in Akkar expressed similar discontent vis-à-vis consecutive losses they are bearing this year as a result of climatic disturbances.  Potato farmers in Akkar suffered major losses (more than 80% of their annual production) as a result of frost damages.  Abdulhamid Sakr, a member of the Farmers Federation in Lebanon, noted that a popular and wide ranging mobilization will be undertaken by farmers, especially potato formers in Akkar in coordination with the local municipalities in order to address the situation.

To be noted that the Gathering of Beqaa Farmers had organized a meeting last week at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Zahleh and the Beqaa to discuss the disaster caused by frost disaster.  The meeting was attended by the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Louis Lahhud, the Minister of Industry, Hussein Hajj Hassan, as well as a number of local MPs, farmers, and heads of Farmers’ Syndicates in the Beqaa.  Hajj Hussein noted that the first step of the government should be to mandate the army and the higher relief council to set up assessment commissions to survey damages using speedy and accurate mechanisms and tools.  He called on farmers not to exaggerate their losses because if figures are deemed too high, this will force the cabinet to reduce compensations.  On a related vein, the Parliamentary Commission for Agriculture met last Monday to discuss the same issue.  Its recommendations were referred to the Cabinet who is due to discuss them shortly.
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Nahar, Al-mustaqbal 8 April 2014