Tarchichi calls for 'urgent action against agricultural smuggling'

The head of the Bekaa Farmers and Agricultural Union, Ibrahim Tarchichi, called Friday for “an immediate halt to the smuggling of Syrian and Turkish agricultural products into Lebanese markets.”

In a statement, Tarchichi warned that if “these illegal activities persist, the union will be forced to announce a strike, block roads, and intercept smuggling trucks.”

He noted that “over 300 tons of Syrian potatoes enter Lebanon daily, infiltrating vegetable markets in Tripoli, Al-Abda, Sin El Fil in Beirut, Qab Elias in the Bekaa, and Saida in the south.”

“This influx severely impacts Bekaa farmers, preventing them from selling their produce ahead of the official entry of Egyptian potatoes scheduled for Feb. 1,” he said.

Tarchichi also highlighted that “smuggling extends to chicken meat and eggs, inflicting significant damage on this already vulnerable sector.”

According to Tarchichi, agricultural truck convoys have shifted from legal border crossings to smuggling routes to evade customs fees and avoid mandatory health inspections required to ensure product safety.

He noted that “Lebanese trucks enter Syrian territory, load Syrian and Turkish agricultural goods, and reintroduce them into Lebanon through illegal crossings without oversight or accountability.”

Tarchichi criticized the quality of the smuggled Syrian potatoes, stating they “fall short of the standards of Lebanese produce.”

He concluded by asserting that customs authorities alone cannot address the issue and called on “all Lebanese security agencies to cooperate in curbing this phenomenon, which is devastating the agricultural sector, leading to its collapse and the bankruptcy of farmers.”