Olive season in South: low production, high prices

With the start of the olive harvest season in southern villages, the vice president of the General Labor Confederation, Hassan Faqih, disclosed that this year’s supply of olive oil and olives will not be abundant. He attributed this to rain water scarcity which has been causing a slippery slope in the overall production. Faqih told the National News Agency (NNA) that this year’s harvest will be half the size of last year’s crop produce. Besides, olive farmers anticipated the price of one container of olive oil to rise to LBP 600,000 compared to LBP 200,000 last year, whereas one kg of table olives is expected to be sold at LBP 15,000 compared to LBP 7,000 last year. Citing farmers in Nabatiyeh, Hasbaya, Arnun, Kfartabnit and Zawtar, NNA said the crop production this year will be small barely covering the cost of fertilizers and cultivation. It will just about secure the household ration of mooneh. (Al Diyar, October 26, 2020)