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Wheat farmers' entitlements still pending

19-6-2019

The head of the Beqaa Farmers’ Gathering, Ibrahim Tarshishi, appealed to the ministers of economy and finance to step up payment of dues to wheat growers for 2018. He said some 500 farmers are still awaiting their reimbursements, noting that Baalbaq Hermel and Beqaa farmers have started this year’s harvest of nearly 125,000 dunums, but they fear delay in collecting the supplies, as was the case in previous seasons. Tarshishi revealed that only 60 wheat growers have received compensation after talks with a member of the Legislature. The Lebanese State treats farmers like beggars, he said, leaving them in anticipation of the promises of the economy ministry which claims to have referred the allocations to the finance ministry, and the latter has not signed to date for routine fiscal procedures. According to Al Akhbar daily, this current year’s production of wheat is estimated between 45,000 and 50,000 tons, pointing out that Lebanon’s yearly import of the crop stands at 500,000 tons. Tarshishi pointed out that Lebanon exports to Jordan, Turkey and Iraq for alleged reasons that the domestically-grown wheat is not suitable for flour and baking, while reminding that wheat seeds are provided by the state-run Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute. On the subject, the owner of ADCO, Rabii Khamis said things can be catastrophic, especially amidst a pressing economic crisis which threatens to shut down many businesses. (Al Akhbar, June 19, 2019)

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