Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai and Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani, with their close advisers. (Credit: NNA)
Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai met with Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani in his summer residence in Diman (Bsharri district) to discuss the challenges facing the agricultural sector, especially for apple producers.
The meeting was also attended by the minister’s advisers, Fadi Ghanem and Mazen Halawani, as well as the patriarchal bishop general of Jbeil and Zghorta, Bishop Joseph Naffah, and the patriarchal vicar, Father Tony Agha.
Hani briefed Patriarch Rai on the projects led by the ministry to strengthen and develop agricultural production.
Rai, for his part, praised the ministry’s work and its ongoing projects, urging Hani to support farmers so they can preserve their land, develop their agricultural production, and modernize their operations. He also emphasized the need to help them find new export markets for apples to prevent the harvest from rotting, unsold.
Last May, during a conference entitled "Agriculture, the pulse of the earth," Hani announced his goal to "restore agriculture to its central role," defining it as a productive, sustainable and modern sector, "a pillar of the national economy, a bulwark for food sovereignty, and the foundation of a productive and fair state."
Lebanon is facing difficulties exporting its agricultural products, particularly because of a ban in Saudi Arabia on imports from Lebanon, imposed in 2021. While no other Gulf Cooperation Council country has imposed commercial bans, Saudi Arabia had served as the transit hub for products to reach the region.
