First US-funded olives processing factory in Jezzine

The USAID funded Building Alliances for Local Advancement, Development and Investment, BALADI, program inaugurated on Friday the first of its kind center for the processing of olives in the Jezzine town of Roum, in partnership with the Federation of Jezzine Municipalities. The project is expected to increase the sales of olives  for some 270 farmers/dealers in some 28 towns in the Federation, as well as create jobs for about 10 persons within the Center’s main functions. During the opening ceremony, Michel Moawad, CEO of the implementing party, Rene Moawad Foundation, pointed out that the factory will not only benefit the community of Roum but will also serve the people of  the Jezzine district. He pointed out that the initiative is important because it stems from the local resources and potentials at hand to secure the fundamentals of steadfastness for the area in a sustainable pattern. Mouwad also underlined the uniqueness of the undertaking as it combines together the storage, sorting, packing, processing and packaging areas. It will transform the olive cultivation from a traditional agriculture to form a basis for a local agricultural industry, Moawad maintained. This, he added, can utilize the flourishing hospitality sector and proliferation of restaurants across Lebanon, and meet the growing demand on all kinds of green, black, solid, crushed and pickled olives, particularly by the Italian eateries. For his part, the US Embassy’s Charge D’Affaires, Danny Hall, noted that the USAID has contributed through BALADI a sum of USD 250 thousand to help the municipality of Roum in building and equipping the factory. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, An Nahar, November 21, 2016)