Lebanon’s agriculture losses exceed $1 billion, minister says

Lebanese Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani said Saturday that damage to the country’s agricultural sector now exceeds $1 billion, with more than 22.5 percent of agricultural land, nearly 56,000 hectares, affected, including about 52,000 hectares in the South Lebanon and Nabatieh governorates.

During a tour of southern Lebanon that included stops in Nabatieh, Sour, Jibsheet, Wadi Jilo and Majdal Selm, Hani said the ministry is implementing an integrated plan to rehabilitate the agricultural sector and restore productive land damaged by the war.

As part of the ‘’Pulse of the Land and Life’’ initiative, which aims to revive agriculture in southern Lebanon, Hani said the ministry is relying on its network of agricultural centers as the first line of support for farmers. He stressed the need to strengthen their staffing and technical capabilities to support recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Hani said assessments conducted with the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization found that more than 22.5 percent of the country’s agricultural land, nearly 56,000 hectares, had been damaged, including about 52,000 hectares in the South Lebanon and Nabatieh governorates. Updated technical studies estimate total losses and damage at more than $1 billion, he said.

The minister said the government is moving from the assessment phase to implementing recovery programs, prioritizing farmers’ return to their land and the resumption of agricultural production. Planned projects, to be carried out with international organizations and partner countries, include rehabilitating 1,500 greenhouses, restoring 50 agricultural wells equipped with solar-powered pumps and improving water resource management.

Southern Lebanon has sustained widespread damage from Israeli military operations since the wars between Israel and Hezbollah in 2024 and 2026. Israeli forces continue to occupy more than 600 square kilometers of Lebanese territory, while carrying out regular attacks and demolitions in parts of the south.