Apple farmers extend a 10 day ultimatum to government

In response to the call for protests on Thursday, April 27, by the head of the Lebanese Farmers’ Association, Antoine Howayek, and his declaration of a day of wrath in all the country, apple growers took to the streets to express dissent against government’s procrastination to compensate them. The areas that were the scene of the farmers’ anger were namely, the Safra highway, Nahr Ibrahim, Chtaura, Damur highway, Shuf crossroads and Baalbak-Hermel main road. Farmers who tossed their apples under the wheels of passing cars sought to send a message saying they did not condone chaos, but that the authorities did not keep their word as per compensating the LBP 5000 for each apple box. For his part, Howayek, revealed that he met with the director general of the Higher Security Council, General Mohamad Kheir, who promised to pay the allocated sums in two installments (LBP 20 billion each), stressing that farmers have turned down the offer and will continue with the strike until their demands are met in full. Howayek also called on prime minister Saad Hariri to step up the distribution of the cheques worth of LBP 40 billion to farmers within 10 days, threatening to move the protests to the capital. In this respect, President Michel Aoun followed up on the issue pressing the need to secure the necessary funds, noting that he was notified with the disbursement to date of the LBP 20 billion batch. (An Nahar, Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, Aprile 24, 26, 27, 28, 2017)

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