Will Farmers Be Able to Hold Out in the South?

Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani addressed the impact of the war on land and the agricultural season in the south, revealing that “the percentage of damaged land is very high, reaching 22.5% of the total agricultural land in Lebanon.”

In an interview with Sputnik Radio, he said: “Lebanon has around 250,000 hectares of agricultural land, and 54,000 hectares have been directly affected by this war. This is an unprecedented area, and it has direct repercussions for farmers, people’s lives, food security, and the economy in general.”

As for the plans being put forward to deal with this issue, Hani explained that “the ministry is updating information on a weekly basis and publishing it twice a month so that it is clear to all agriculture partners in Lebanon, as well as local and international partner institutions, in preparation for rehabilitating the sector. Some support has begun to reach farmers because, despite all this destruction and the major attacks, 20% of farmers are in the area south of the Litani, and we are therefore trying to secure the necessary support for them so they can remain resilient, especially livestock breeders.”

He also revealed that “the losses in the olive sector in southern Lebanon are very large,” noting that “an assessment conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture in cooperation with the FAO and the World Bank estimated agricultural damage at $800 million from the previous war, meaning by the end of 2024. Part of it is short-term, but the greater share consists of long-term damage, such as the loss of an olive tree that is fifty years old or more.”

Hani stressed that “some weapons rely on white phosphorus, which has a very significant impact on forest resources, agriculture, and plant cover in general, and its effects remain in the soil,” emphasizing that “fruit-bearing trees are important for Lebanese markets and for Lebanon’s food security, in addition to the markets of neighboring countries. Therefore, the war has affected these markets.”

Regarding the tobacco sector, he explained that “the situation is difficult. We have around 1,600 plots of land that were cultivated with tobacco, but they were directly affected by the war. This has a direct impact on families, farmers, and the economy in Lebanon, because tobacco is an important crop used by the Regie to manufacture tobacco products that generate good economic returns.”