Shehayeb confirms Syrian decision to import Lebanese banana in exchange for Syrian citrus

After two weeks of news blackout around Syrian government decision to import Lebanese bananas in exchange for its citrus products, (:http://bit.ly/2elJaM6), Agriculture minister, Akram Shehayeb, acknowledged yesterday the decision to trade Lebanese banana in exchange for Syrian citrus fruits, without disclosing further details, while noting that his Lebanese industry counterpart has negotiated with the Syrian authorities the decision which will enter into effect in the few coming hours. Moreover, NBN TV said yesterday that Syria’s deal to open its borders to Lebanese banana for 24 hours comes after efforts by Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri, with the Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon. Meanwhile, the President of Lebanese Farmers’ Association, Antoine Howayek called off yesterday and until further notice the ‘Banana Farmers Day of Rage’ planned for today, Monday, while the vice chair of the South Farmers Gathering, Rida Fadel, confirmed that the freeze of the protests was only for 48 hours. In related news, Homs Customs Director, Mazen Makhluf, revealed last Saturday that the directorate has one day earlier confiscated a refrigerated truck loaded with nearly 22 tons of bananas smuggled from Lebanon. Makhluf said the truck is the second to be seized in the past 10 days, pointing out to the failure of smugglers’ attempts to obstruct the decision of the Syrian cabinet to import Lebanese bananas in exchange for Syrian citrus. (As Safir, Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, The Daily Star, L’Orient Le Jour, November 14, 2016)