MoET to collect the wheat harvest after a two-month delay - Farmers to be compensated for climatic damages

After a two-month delay, the Minister of Economy and Trade (MoET) issued a decision yesterday to start collecting the wheat production for this year.  This decision follows a number of protests by farmers who called on the government to speed up the process and cut down on the high costs of warehousing.  According to As Safir newspaper, the Ministry of Economy and Trade will start opening its warehouses of LARI in Tell Amara as of next week to receive the harvest of hundreds of wheat farmers. The Minister’s decision has already been sent to the treasury and financial allocations have been made to settle for wheat procurements from farmers and to pay compensations for damages caused by bad weather at a rate of LBP 50,000 per damaged dunnum of land.  The wheat farmers in the Beqaa noted during their meeting held after the Ministry’s decision that they hoped the process of receiving wheat and paying compensations will be swift.

Source: Al-Safir 16 September 2014