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Progress in resolving some of the agricultural problems

25-10-2017

The Higher Relief Committee reportedly began yesterday dispensing the second instalment of compensation for apple growers, totaling LBP 20 billion and which was due last August. Concerning the Lebanese potato trucks stranded in the Aqaba Port in Jordan, Prime Minister Saad Hariri called yesterday his Jordanian counterpart who agreed to facilitate the entry of Lebanese potatoes after checking their quality. Furthermore, the minister of economy and trade, Raed Khury announced at a press conference yesterday that his ministry has resumed delivery of the 2017 wheat and barley harvest after a 2-season suspension. Khury who was speaking after a tour to the wheat warehouses to supervise the delivery of supplies said he expected the delivery of some 45 thousand tons of the crops for the current season. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, October 19, 20, 25, 2017)

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3 Lebanese winners of Arab Development Portal competition

25-10-2017

A 3-women team comprising Alexandra Irani, Joanna Z’inni and Zeina Jamaliddine came in the first place at Beirut Hackathon,Visualize 2030 competition organized by the UNDP and the Arab Development Portal (ADP). Some 14 teams from Arab states competed for projects to develop their countries within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 5-day event, the first SDG data dive camp in the Arab region, took place in Beit Meri, Lebanon, with the participation of 25 young women and 25 young men. The 3 young women from Lebanon won for their project ‘Super-milk’ underlining the advantages of breastfeeding and a cash prize of USD 7,000. The Iraqi team came second for ‘Education in Iraq’ project with USD 5 thousand prize, followed by the Algerian team that won USD 3 thousand for the ‘Industrial investment in Algeria’ project. To note, some 50 participants were shortlisted out of 240 applicants. On the occasion, the Lebanese health minister, Ghassan Hasbani, praised his country’s team for promoting breastfeeding, stating the ministry’s complete support and sponsorship of similar undertakings. (An Nahar, October 25, 2017)

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Minister of Industry criticizes the absence of long term government planning

24-10-2017

As part of an EU-funded program, the Social and Economic Council hosted yesterday a dialogue session headed by industry minister Hussein Haj Hassan entitled, ‘supporting the industry and promoting exports’. Haj Hassan recalled an incident last week when an ambassador asked him if Lebanon has a specific industrial development policy, and to which he replied, “the minister has gotten a plan but not the government”. “The solution to our continuous economic crises lies in the adoption of a 10-year economic scheme or vision with clear objectives and programs,” Haj Hassan maintained. He considered the high cost of production to be the main hitch slowing down domestic industry, and requested the following on part of the government: leasing state and municipality-owned lands to industrialists at competitive rent prices; compensating the cost of electricity, and dispensing salaries for Lebanese workers. The minister made clear that export is the key to resolving the national economy crisis, pointing to difficulties in the entry of made-in-Lebanon goods to world markets while Lebanon is open to the global production. He said “a country that can survive with a massive deficit in trade balance is non-existent.” For his part, the Social and Economic Council president, Roger Nasnas, underlined the role of the industry as a pivot for the resurgence of Lebanon. He gave some suggestions to address the situation, including: Expansion of the protection of national industry; adjustment of the debilitated public institutions; restoration of a modern reform system of the public sector; commitment to complete and strict observance of relevant laws; reduction of public indebtedness; revision and reformation of the file of the refugees and foreign laborers, and finally, regulation of the vocational and higher education programs in light of the labor market requirements. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, October 24, 2017)

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Canadian Ambassador to Lebanon focuses on supporting women

24-10-2017

L’Orient Le Jour interviewed the newly-appointed Ambassador of Canada to Lebanon, Emmanuelle Lamoureux, who said she is personally supportive of women’s issues, pointing out that the Embassy is at the heart of the Canadian law and policies. Lamoureux stressed her government’s conviction of the need to engage women at all levels in order to reach an acceptable level of economic growth and a lasting peace, adding that for women to access decision-making positions and to actively participate in society, they should be liberal and independent decision-makers themselves. To this effect, the ambassador met with representatives of concerned associations, namely, Dar al Amal, involved with helping marginalized women. She also expressed her interest in visiting Lebanese regions and in meeting with people so as to better understand the local context. L’Orient Le Jour, October 20, 2017

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Kafa campaign on banning marriage of the girl child

24-10-2017

On the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11 of each year, the Information Department at the NDU in Zouk Mosbeh north of Beirut organized a seminar on the occasion spotlighting a campaign by Kafa to ban marriage of minors. The lecturer at the University, Dr. Rita Sayah, lauded the efficacy of efforts by the organization and the encouraging results achieved so far. Every Lebanese girl and woman now has an anchor to resort to when needed, thanks to Kafa, Sayah maintained. Similarly, the public relations coordinator at Kafa, Maya Ammar, drew attention to the smart media and promotional campaign by the organization and its inspiring outcomes. Today, Kafa, enough violence and exploitation organization, is working on a serious legislation that bans the marriage of underage girls, Ammar stated. (Al Mustaqbal, October 24, 2017)

 

Previous related news:
‘A wedding or a funeral’, latest Kafa campaign against forced child marriage

 
 

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Imports of poultry unrestricted despite damages to local producers

23-10-2017

Despite the repeated official statements to protect the agricultural and productive sectors, the minister of agriculture Ghazi Zeiater announced after a meeting on Friday with the Syndicate of Poultry Farmers and representatives of independent poultry farmers that the import of frozen chicken is open and cannot be regulated. He pointed to a decision by former minister Akram Shehayeb that constrained the process to a prior permit. Zeitar also disclosed an agreement with the above syndicate to secure the needs of the local market until August 2018, and a gradual reduction of import. In a related incident, An Nahar newspaper reported on Friday that the Lebanese poultry industry which employs over 20 thousand persons providing for some 20 thousand families is appealing for help. Domestic poultry, the newspaper wrote, has had a key role since 1960 securing the complete needs of local consumers until May 24, 2008, when the government then issued a directive reducing (from 70% to 20%) the customs tariffs on imported frozen chickens and poultry. On the subject, the secretary of the Lebanese Poultry Syndicate, Wiliam Butros, said what is needed today is the adoption of a protection policy for national production, noting that the poultry sector has, since 2008, been on a downward spiral, particularly with the upsurge in the importation from Brazil and the Ukraine. Butros spelled out to An Nahar that the size of import has reached around 10,000 tons, equivalent to 30 million chickens, at a time domestic production has roughly reached 80 million chickens. Butros mentioned that more than 300 farms in the country have closed since 2008 as a result of the unrestrained import, including 113 farms in Akkar alone. (An Nahar, Al Diyar, October 20 and 21, 2017) Previews related news: Lebanon may resort to trade barriers to safeguard its industry from external dumping http://www.weeportal-lb.org/news/lebanon-may-resort-trade-barriers-safeguard-its-industry-external-dumping High time for poultry producers to stage their protest http://www.weeportal-lb.org/news/high-time-poultry-producers-stage-their-protest New government measures in support of poultry, dairy sectors http://www.weeportal-lb.org/news/new-government-measures-support-poultry-dairy-sectors Ministry of Industry considering taxing imports to protect the industrial sector in Lebanon http://www.weeportal-lb.org/news/ministry-industry-considering-taxing-imports-protect-industrial-sector-lebanon

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Gender mainstreaming and women’s role in decision making processes

23-10-2017

The Minister of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) and the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW), in partnership with the German Agency for International Development, launched on Friday the ‘Gender mainstreaming in educational decision making mechanisms and policies’. The experimental scheme seeks to develop the mainstreaming of women’s rights and gender equality in the MEHE policies which could reflect positively on the overall national educational policy. On the occasion, the minister of education, Marwan Hamadeh, underlined the aim of the project in “expanding the notions of gender and searching the roots of discrimination in our school and social education,” as he said. It seeks to establish behaviors that observe true equality in rights and responsibilities between the sexes to the effect of sustaining rights and equality in the administrative, educational and public life, in light of a true gender equality and a complete acceptance and adoption by the educated segment of society, Hamadeh explained. In a related vein, Nadwatul Ibdaa on Friday opened its cultural season for 2017/2018 with a talk entitled, ‘The impact of women on decision-making’ at Toufic Tabbara Center in Sanayeh, Beirut. Salwa Khalil, director of Nadwatul Ibaa, pointed out that the systematic marginalization of the role of women in political life is contrary to the established conception on the equality between men and women as a facet of human reality, and is contrary to the Lebanese Constitution stating that people are the ultimate source of authority, including men and women equally. She appealed to women to overcome all obstacles that obstruct their access to decision making positions and to boldly endorse their presence in the upcoming electoral lists. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, October 21, 2017)

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Avocado cultivation boom in South Lebanon

23-10-2017

L’Orient Le Jour highlighted today the booming cultivation of avocado in the country according to FAO statistics which pointed to some 3700 growers, including 80% in the South and the remaining in the Akkar region. Extoling the features of this kind of agriculture, Shafiq Eid from Jezzine said he started planting the crop six years ago and is now harvesting around one thousand tons every year, mentioning that he had to wait three years for the production to yield. Eid said he received support through the USAID-funded Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development Project (LIVCD) launched from 2012 to 2019 at USD 56.2 million, and which allocated USD 3 million to the growing of avocado. Sandra Fahd, an expert on the US program, explained that the latter aims to educate farmers on how to attend to this agriculture to double production, improve quality and select the convenient varieties. She noted that since the kick-off of the avocado support undertaking in 2013 (as part of the LIVCD project), the USAID has trained about 900 farmers, backed some 853 small and medium enterprises in the field and prepared 800 hectares of land for the planting of avocado. Fahd maintained that while the rate of production at the local level did not change (8200 tons per year), the US agency has contributed to introducing new varieties. She praised the unique properties of avocado from the early fruit stages which lasts more than other crops, the significant financial proceeds, (one kg is sold at LBP 2500 to 4500), with nearly 90% consumed domestically. To note, Lebanon has imported in 2016 some 326 tons at USD 641,000 and exported 492 tons at USD 561,000, destined mainly to the Arab Gulf states. (L’Orient Le Jour, October 23, 2017)

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Olive picking and pressing festival in Koora

23-10-2017

The Agricultural Cooperative for the Development of Olive Produce in Darbaachtar, Koora, inaugurated on Saturday the second edition of the Olive Harvest Festival, with the support of the Municipality and in cooperation with USAID. On the occasion, the Coop chief, Jose Bou Ghosn, said the event brings together the consumer and the producer, introduces visitors to the area’s distinctive features, namely olives and virgin olive oil, and educates buyers to mindfully choose the good olive and olive oil products. Similarly, the USAID director of the Olive Oil Sector, engineer Roland Andari, stressed the significance of the festival particularly to outsiders coming from Beirut, Junyeh and other regions of Lebanon who are unaware of the different stages of growing and picking the olive trees up to olive oil processing. For his part, Darbaachtar mayor, engineer Isaac Abud, lauded the yearly festivity for spotlighting Koura and its agricultural olive produce, describing the event as a useful opportunity for local consumers to get the best quality olives, olive oil and soaps. To note, the 2-day festival saw awareness seminars on the proper methods to care for olives and olive oil, in addition to a home-made mouneh exhibition and a tour for visitors in the olive groves, a visit to the olive press and the soap factory while they enjoying walking in nature. (Al Diyar, October 22, 2017)

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Arab Women Council honors Zamakhal with Golden Shield of Excellence 2017

20-10-2017

The Arab Women Council- the Organization for Social Responsibility, honored the president of the Gathering of Lebanese Businessmen and Businesswomen (RDCL), CEO of Zimco Group Middle East, Dr. Fouad Zamakhal, with the Golden Shield of Excellence Award for Outstanding Initiatives in recognition for his many achievements in various fields and their impact across the Arab region. The award comes on the sidelines of the ‘Third Regional Forum for Social Responsibility: The role of women leaders in promoting economic growth and sustainable development 2017’ during its meeting on October 18 in Cairo. On the occasion, Zamakhal spoke about the role and influence of women on their households, communities, workplace, and particularly in their leadership of companies and institutions, in addition to their success and distinction in assuming public responsibilities. Zamakhal stressed that a leading woman can also excel as a good housewife, caring mother and pioneering entrepreneur, and also as a leader in society, economics and politics. Zamakhal lauded the role of Arab women in senior management positions working for the advancement of the Arab societies. “This benefits the Arab societies, where men and women in business team up to build the Arab communities and economies to the effect of realizing the desired growth, and reducing unemployment,” Zamakhal said. He finally called for cooperation of Arab businessmen and businesswomen to give women their complete rights and achieve equality. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, October 20, 2017)

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