News

The disease that has been ravaging Lebanon’s prickly pears since 7 years and inflicting heavy losses in production (down by 90%) has its grounds. It first flared up in the southern villages close to the borders with Occupied Palestine carried by a virus which crossed from the other side of the wired wall, according to farmers claim. The bug was transmitted by an Israeli settler who used to work at a dyehouse and who has imported a special aid material from Argentina that contained this virus; the latter got out of control and spread in the Galilee region and then deep into the Lebanese borders. The problem was further exacerbated by the government’s total disregard of this agricultural disaster as well as by the snow storm and blizzard that hit the country during the past winter. One farmer, Abu Hassan Kadri complained to As Safir newspaper that prickly pears are headed to extinction as growers of these crops are not ready anymore to risk their resources in this business. Another farmer, Hussam Harfoush, said that his prickly pear orchard in Al Hasbani River basin has miraculously survived the disease after using special pesticides once a week. He went on to say that such a treatment is useful if applied on a national scale and in collaboration with the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment. According to data collected by agricultural cooperatives in the area and as explained by Nuhad Abu Hamdan from the Cooperative for Arid Farming and Seedlings, prickly pear production has witnessed a sharp decline this year. In the past five years, villages in Hasbaya and Arkoub districts produced some 10 thousand tons of prickly pears that were sold in the retail domestic markets at LBP 20-25 thousand per 100 pieces, whereas this year, production will barely reach 600-700 tons. (As Safir, 12 August 2015)

Three months after the killing of Sarah El Amin by her husband (full news at http://bit.ly/1LE0FO2), the Investigative Judge for Mount Lebanon Mohamad Badran issued yesterday an indictment demanding the execution of Ali El Zein by virtue of Article 549 (on attempted murder) of the Penal Code. In this respect, the victim’s family attorney, Ashraf Musawi, clarified that the decision will be referred to the Criminal Court which will start the trial suspended since last May 19 the day the defendant was arrested. Sarah El Amin’s brother Mahmoud said the family is anticipating a fair and legal verdict from the court. For her part, Kafa’s media officer Maya Ammar described the decision as positive, pointing to earlier decisions issued by the Grand Jury under above article, namely in the case of Salam Mohamad from Nabatiyeh who was killed and buried by her husband, as well as in the cases of Manal Assi and Fatma Bakour. However, Ammar disclosed that a number of files are still pending related to the cases of Rukaya Munzir and Nesrine Rouhana. Finally she warned against any commutation of sentence against the defendant. (Al Akhbar, Al Mustaqbal, 12 August 2015)

Hardships are continuously quelling Lebanese farmers who are no longer sure how to market their harvests and provide for their subsistence. The summer, with its unprecedented high temperatures, has added to their present troubles, harshly affecting their production, the last of which was the destruction of thousands of birds and chicken. Commenting on the general dire situation after the closure of the Syrian-Jordanian borders, the President of the Maritime Transport Agents in Lebanon, Hassan Jarudi, disclosed to the Al Hayat newspaper that only one large vessel carrying trucks loaded with goods has actually departed from the Tripoli heading to Aqaba Port in Jordan. He noted that this modest achievement came as a result of a private initiative by exporters. Furthermore, Jarudi added that the success of the newly-opened Tripoli sea route depends on the ability of exporters to assemble some 60 to 70 trucks for each two-way trip. The President of the Lebanese Farmers’ Association Antoine Howayek told the newspaper that the sea export traffic is still modest noting that nearly 50% of exports were re-channeled to domestic consumption instead of Arab GCC markets, regrettably thus pushing down prices as well as a the waste of some the extra supply. Similarly, the board director of the development of exports at the Lebanese Industrialists Association, Munir Bisat, revealed to Al Mustaqbal daily that sea export via vessels is still cheaper than land. However, Bisat added that time remains a disadvantage for goods heading by seat towards Jordan and Saudi Arabia by sea compared to the land route. On the other hand, news of potato harvesting in West and Central Bekaa and Rashaya indicates a promising season despite the recent climatic, political and economic unfavorable factors. Potato harvest in the Beqaa fields is in full swing with tens of Syrian farm workers who toil to provide for their daily subsistence under the hot skies. In this respect, Engineer Gilbert Abu Monsef, pointed out that the price of potato in the Gulf markets has improved as a result of the faltering season of European potatoes. He said the potato domestic market is normal and sea export is running smoothly unlike that of other agricultural products. (Al Hayat, Al Mustaqbal, 9 and 10 August 2015)

Al Hayat daily interviewed a number of small farmers of Beqaa, which includes some 250 acres of irrigated land and 150 thousand acres of rain-fed or dry land, in attempt to shed some light on key problems that largely continue to impede the development of the agricultural sector. One of the key problems which most farmers agree on is the monopoly of middlemen who control the domestic marketing and export of agricultural harvests. In this respect, farmer Hassan Haidar refereed to the well-established cartel of traders who buy agricultural products directly from the field at very cheap prices and then transport to wholesale markets where they are sold to distributors at much higher prices when compared to the original prices. Farmers noted that dealers often attribute low prices to poor quality, and falsely claim that imported goods which are dumped into the domestic markets are of a better quality. These farmers refuted the general claim of merchants but did acknowledge some shortcomings in the quality of their products and some weakness in knowledge resulting from inadequate agricultural extension services and the absence of support from public institutions. Al Hayat also pointed out to the drop in the number of Syrian workforce by 50-60% because of the tightened measures recently imposed by the Lebanese government. Furthermore, the newspaper indicated that small farmers will not benefit much from the recent government decision to subsidize maritime exports. Rather, it said, the main challenges for those small farmers is first finding enough labor to help with the harvest and then the setting of favorable price for their products. According to the latest comprehensive agricultural survey conducted back in 2010, Al Hayat noted that 75% of land-owning farmers do not benefit from any kind of social security. Over and above, farmers are constantly and desperately trying to develop their enterprise through using the latest technologies. For that they are heavily depended on funding from commercial banks. This has generated an additional problem, which is their inability to repay their debts. (Al Hayat, 6 August 2015)

The President of the Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry in the North, Tawfik Dabbussi, personally supervised the departure of trucks loaded with goods via huge vessels from the Port of Tripoli in the north. Commenting on this issue, Dabbussi told Al Diyar newspaper that the private sector has proven once more that it is still the catalyst of economic activities in the country despite the paralysis of government institutions. Asked about the cost of maritime transport, he confirmed that it is bound to increase adding that the cabinet has approved financial subsidies to cover the additional cost. He disclosed that the first vessel will leave the Port of Tripoli today and will head towards Aqaba (Jordan) and Adana (Turkey), pointing that the Tripoli port is well-equipped to become a key passage for exports. For his part, the vessel contractor, Mohamad Yussef, told the newspaper that one vessel can carry up to 64 trucks with their drivers. (Al Diyar, 6 August 2015)

L’Orient Le Jour published in yesterday a brief feature on the life of Wadad Halwani whose husband, Adnan Halwani, leading member of the Communist Action Organization, who was kidnapped back in 1982. Halwani, the chairperson of the Families of the Disappeared and Abducted Committee, and the mother of two, said she never lost hope. One day after the kidnapping, she said, she started carrying out contacts and visits to political figures concerning the fate of her husband. She then met other women who shared the same tragedy. Wadad decided to organize and formed a core group of five people in order to pressure officials in this respect. Later, the group grew to include a larger number of concerned women who started organizing sit-ins and activities. I have a new responsibility today, Halwani told the newspaper, which is to look out for some 17 thousand officially reported abducted persons, adding that she will never give up until her mission is completed. (L’Orient Le Jour, 4 August 2015)

Hayya Bina association organized a two day long women encounters and exchange in South Lebanon and that is within the framework of activities carried out by the ‘English for Women’ program launched in 2007 and funded by the USA Embassy in Lebanon. Houla cultural center hosted the first day with participants from Riyyaq, Jeb Janneen and Houla. The students group visited Dubyeh Fort and was received by Shaqra mayor Rida Ashur in the presence of the UNIFIL Nepalese battalion which is contributing to rehabilitating this historical landmark. The second stop in the southern tour was in the town of Shabaa and was concluded at the Blue Line dividing Shabaa from the Israeli occupied Shabaa Farms. The two day event included group discussions, run by trainer Luma Zeinoun Tabet and the Program’s educational officer Salha Nasser, which focused on ‘how women defend their rights’. (Al Mustaqbal, 5 August 2015)