Lebanese food sector represents only 2.6% of GDP but 21% of exports

Some 18 Lebanese agro-food firms, mainly manufacturers of canned food, juices, beverages, nuts and spices, were present at the Anuga 2017 trade fair in Cologne, Germany (October 7-11). The chairman of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL), Nabil Itani, stressed on the occasion, the significance of IDAL’s backing to the largest number of Lebanese companies to partake in similar international exhibitions that link local producers to global importers as well as help them explore the latest technologies across the industry. Itani pointed out that the resourceful Lebanese food sector has established itself and has made a quantum leap in recent years to make up nearly 2.6% of the GDP, with agro-food exports representing 21% of the total exports in 2016. To note, Anuga, which is one of the three agro-food international fairs supported by the Lebanese Cabinet as proposed by IDAL, receives around 16 thousand visitors from 150 world countries. (Al Hayat, October 10, 2017)

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